[Nottingham] Action required! New ("clandestine") EU Software Patent Legislation: a real threat for Linux and Open Source

[Martin Garton]

On Thu, 13 May 2004, Martin wrote:

> RIGHT! THAT'S IT!!

Good! (It sounds like someone else is doing something about this.)

> Now who's my MEP to sort out this nonsense...?
> The more direct comment to the MEPs, the merrier.

I have previously contacted Nick Clegg around the middle of last year. I 
don't know how much he really understood the issue, but the standard 
response that was apparently coming from all Liberal MEPs seemed to be 
reasonably favourable.

However, I understand Nick Clegg will be standing down as MEP soon, so 
instead I have more recently contacted Bill Newton Dunn (also Liberal) who 
got back to me about a week or so ago.  He confirmed what I already knew 
which is that the elected European Parliament has voted for strict limits 
on the patent-ability of software, but the unelected and secretive council 
of ministers had changed all the proposals behind closed doors.

As you may know, the council of ministers consists of a groups from the 
member states appointed by each countries government. I _believe_ (but 
I'm not sure here) that in the UK that group largely consists of patent 
officers and bureaucrats.

Anyway, the upshot of all this is that rather than just contacting your
MEP, it may do as much good right now to contact your MP asking him/her to
request that the government explain why they are supporting the as yet
unexplained view of the Microsoft sponsored Irish presidency over the
openly debated view of the democratically elected European Parliament.  
This is in fact what Mr Newton Dunn advised me to do. (He didn't use the 
words like "Microsoft sponsored" though!

Let us know who you write to. I plan contacting my MP (Alan Simpson) as 
well as other MEPs.

Remember also, that we are close to a European election where every vote 
counts (proportional rep.) and lots of people asking how MEPs would vote 
in a future reading of the bill might be a good idea.

-- 
Martin.