[Nottingham] mep software patents

[Robert Davies]

On Thursday 21 Aug 2003 19:53, mike wrote:
> Hi,
> just saw the vote for software patents in europe is on sep 1. Does anyone
> know the relavent meps to email about this?

There's a web page listing contact details for East Midlands MEPs.  These are 
the ones that got back to me, when I asked their intentions.

"Roger Helmer" <rhelmer@europarl.eu.int>      Con
ld_eastmidland@cix.compulink.co.uk (Nick Clegg MEP)   Lib
"Paddy Casswell" <casswellp@labmeps-emids.fsnet.co.uk>  Labour

Roger Helmer added this info :

> For your information, you are represented by 6 MEPs in the East Midlands
> area: 2 Conservative, 2 Labour & 2 Liberal Democrat. However, I can not
> explain the other parties positions on this matter and if you want to know,
> then you should call their offices. The Labour regional office can be
> reached on 0115 922 0624. The Lib Dem regional office can be reached on
> 0115 846 0661.

When I asked them their position, Con & Lib got back quickly, Lab took months 
and months.  Basically they're all saying roughly the same thing, the 
directive needs amending (suspect the Labour group were in disarray after 
Arlene McCarthy's extrordinary article in the Guardian and the publicity she 
received).

What's not clear from lobbying them, is who's really most determined to limit 
the patentability the most.  They're saying the Euro Patent office has 
granted patents (nevermind that Treaty of Rome which excluded them) and 
there's a need for standardisation.  Thus they want an invention that 
includes software to be patentable (which seems fair) but specifically 
prevent patents on pure software, algorithmns and business methods.

Trouble is, the software business ppl who politicians talk to, often like the 
idea, either to entrench a position with big patent portfolio, or thinking 
only of the ability to patent novel software ideas.  My concern is that the 
politicians will still be gulled into some bad compromise, conveniently 
pleasing patent offices and big business (who incidentally decide to make 
some party donations) and it'll be presented as allowing our industry a 
competitive disadvantage.  A cynical calculation would be that most voters do 
not care, or understand the issue, and many who disagree will forget it or 
vote on more mainstream issues when the time comes.

Rob