Hi, I think that this law, if it is accepted, will proof to be totably unhandable for any justice system. The proceedings of the SCO vs. IMB case have proven how complex these cases can become and how much in debth knowledge and research efforts are required by the law enforcers. The sheer amount of opportunities to sue any party over breaches of any software patent law will be overwhelming and turn out to be impossible to persecute on a big scale.
I do not think any clever lawmaker should want to burden the already overloaded justice systems anymore with this lawmaking. In case they will, they will be ending up withdrawing it eventually or worse: 'gedogen'. This is of course just another argument against this law but also a reason to downplay the somehwat apocalyptic fears that occasionally arise around this topic. Anyway, lets hope for, and actively pursue a sound decision by the european decision makers. Rgrds> Peter > Hi, > > What i don't understand: > > 1. Why is there not more public debat about the european law > on software patents. If i understand the message correctly > all open source software will be patented if the law is > accepted. This means that we will have to pay for using > linux, apache, tomcat, php and mmbase in the near future? > > 2. Which are the organisations which are pushing the european > law on software patents. I expect the Europ�isches Patentamt > (http://www.european-patent-office.org) is one of the main > players. If this is the case, we should also visit: > > Europees Octrooibureau, Den Haag > Patentlaan 2, 2280 HV Rijswijk > Tel. (070) 340 20 40 > > Note: they already have their own "patentlaan", which city > will be the first to have a mmbase-street ;-? > > See you on friday, 10:00u. > > Regards, Henk. > > MMatch / MMbase consultancy and implementation > Hommelstraat 9A > NL-3061 VA Rotterdam > T. +31-(0)6-29054903 > E. [EMAIL PROTECTED] > I. http://www.mmatch.nl > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Pierre van Rooden > > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2004 11:53 AM > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Subject: Friday 14 May, 10:00: protest against the european > > patent laws > > > > > > As you all may have heard, through colleagues or the internet > > protests > > (including the protest page posted for a period at the > > mmbase.org site), > > the European Committee is making an attempt to push a new law > > that will > > allow claims for restrictive software patents in Europe. > > Allowing patents on software routines is certain to cripple > > the European > > IT market, hamper innovative development, and make business > > for many IT > > companies - large and small, non profit and commercial - near > > impossible. > > Thanks to protests throughout Europe, the plan, which would > otherwise > > have been handled by bureaucrats, came to the political agenda. The > > European Parlement protested against the proposal and > > insisted that the > > Committee change it to disallow for such restrictive patents. > > Unfortunately, the Committee seems not inclined to listen > to the only > > democractic organ in the European Union. Instead, no doubt > under the > > influence of large American corporations, they want the Counsil of > > Ministers to recognize and set in motion the original plan > > dutring next > > weeks meeting, turning the already feeble European democracy > > into a sham. > > > > This friday, we plan to hold a protest meeting at the Ministry of > > Economic Affairs (Ministery van Economische Zaken) in The > Hague. This > > could be but a small protest, butw e may also turnthis ina > > signmifcant > > one if we all attend. > > The protest is to commence at 10:00 in the morning. I implore > > you all to > > attend. > > > > More information on the demonstration can be found at: > > http://wiki.ael.be/index.php/DemoDenHaag > > > > See also: > > http://www.softwarepatenten.be/pers/p8 > > > > -- > > Pierre van Rooden > > Mediapark, C 107 tel. +31 (0)35 6772815 > > "Never summon anything bigger than your head." > > > > > > > > >
