Att FSFE-UK Dear Friend and Supporter,
The EU Commission launched, two months ago, a consultation procedure for a "final effort" to introduce EU-wide patents. There is a strong chance that this process will legitimise software patents, and make it easier and cheaper to use them in court. We believe this would be very bad for the EU IT sector and all businesses that depend on it. In our experience, software patents lead to more lawsuits, not more software. The FFII has been working on analysing the consultation procedure, and writing good answers to the Commission's questions. Last week we also met the Commission's Erik Nooteboom, who is in charge of the consultation, and we expressed our concerns. We believe that the plan to create a wider patent system is counter-productive without moves to ban once and for all patents on ideas, methods, and algorithms, the basics of software and the IT industry. Our analysis is online at: http://consultation.ffii.org/. If you have time, read the whole analysis. If you are in a hurry, we have prepared some example answers. You can also take key points and answer these in your own words. It is explained in detail on http://consultation.ffii.org/How_to_Answer. As president of the FFII, the association that has been fighting for six long years to protect your right to do business, by keeping patents out of the software industry, I ask you to make three concrete actions: * First, answer the consultation, in your own words, in email or on paper. * Second, make a substantial donation to the FFII so that we can continue to defend your rights. * Lastly, forward this email to other businesses which produce or use software so they can also answer. The question of software patents affects us all, and we must seize this opportunity to influence the future laws. It is not often that we can make a difference, but this is one of those few times. The FFII will be monitoring the consultation process and holding open a dialogue with the Commission to represent you. If you have questions, please send them to [EMAIL PROTECTED] With best regards -- Pieter Hintjens President, FFII e.V. <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.ffii.org ___________________________________________________________ Yahoo! Photos NEW, now offering a quality print service from just 8p a photo http://uk.photos.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ Fsfe-uk mailing list [email protected] http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/fsfe-uk
