Hi all, The directive validating software patents will be voted by the European parliament on September 1. Members supporting Open source / free software are protesting all over. They had also planned a demonstration in Brussels on 27th August. Although, we cannot do much in India, we can at least sign the online petition at http://petition.eurolinux.org/.
Thanks, -- narsingh --- "Jasmeet S. Virdi" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I think something similar that's bugging Mplayer. > (http://www.mplayerhq.hu) > > -js > $ -----Original Message----- > $ From: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > $ > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > $ g] On Behalf Of Dhruv Gami > $ Sent: Friday, August 29, 2003 12:50 AM > $ To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > $ Subject: [ilugd] Software Patents issue closes > Knoppix > $ > $ > $ > $ This is scary stuff. > $ > $ http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/index-en.html > $ > $ [follow link at bottom of this mail to get more > details...] > $ > $ [Knoppix] Closed because of "Software-Patents" > $ > $ In the next few days, the European Parliament will > decide > $ about the legalisation and adoption of so-called > "software > $ patents" in Europe, which are already used by > large companies > $ in other countries to put competitors out of > business. This > $ can lead to the termination of many software > projects such as > $ KNOPPIX, at least within Europe, because the > holders of the > $ over 30,000 already granted "software patents" > (currently > $ without a legal foundation) can claim exclusive > rights and > $ collect license fees for trivial things like > "progress bars", > $ "mouseclicks on online order forms", "scrolling > within a > $ window" and similar. That way, software developers > will have > $ to pay the "software-patentholders" for using > these features, > $ even in their own, completely self-developed > applications, > $ which can completely stall the development of > innovative > $ software for small and medium companies. Apart > from this, the > $ expense for patent inquiries and legal assistence > is high, > $ for even trying to find out if the self-developed > software is > $ possibly violating "software-patents", if you want > to > $ continue to market your software. Contrary to real > patents, > $ "software-patents" are, in the current draft, > monopolization > $ of business ideas and methods, even without any > tangible > $ technical implementation. > $ > $ More about the current major problem at > $ http://swpat.ffii.org/index.en.html > $ > $ regards, > $ Gami > $ > $ > $ _______________________________________________ > $ ilugd mailing list > $ [EMAIL PROTECTED] > $ http://frodo.hserus.net/mailman/listinfo/ilugd > $ > > > _______________________________________________ > ilugd mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://frodo.hserus.net/mailman/listinfo/ilugd ________________________________________________________________________ Yahoo! India Promos: Win TVs, Bikes, DVD players & more! Go to http://in.promos.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ ilugd mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://frodo.hserus.net/mailman/listinfo/ilugd
