[Gllug] EU patents

[Christopher Hunter]

On Monday 30 Jun 2003 11:48 pm, Alain Williams wrote:
> Quite.
>
> Can we have a volunteer (or a small group) to be a 'lead' on this ?
> Rather than all of us working out the arguments, finding the nice examples,
> seeking out who we should talk to, draft individual letters to MPs/...,
> we need a small committee to coordinate.
>
> The rest of us can then follow: devote whatever time we feel we can afford
> ...
>
> Volunteers ?

Despite my gloomy outlook, I'm perfectly willing to get involved - it's just 
that I'm probably more realistic about the chances of successful lobbying 
than you are.....  Been there, tried that, found it to be largely a waste of 
time and energy!  I've tried "tilting at windmills" many times in the past, 
and have the scars (of all sorts) to show for it.

You have to remember - there are too many "vested interests" involved.  
Despite their relatively small size, M$ have virtually unlimited funds at 
their disposal, and are deeply entrenched in Governments all over the planet.

All the "advocacy" projects will make no difference as long as the mass market 
home and business computer vendors only supply M$ products....  A really 
useful EU Law would be to make it illegal to supply a computer with a 
pre-installed operating system, and would require the buyer to purchase their 
OS separately, and install it themselves!

It's not that there's no hope - it's just that the OS brigade haven't got 
their act together - perhaps WE need 50000 Marketing people!

Count me in - I'll help if I can

Chris







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