[SLUG] [Fwd: Re: Software patents]

[john at johnallsopp.co.uk]

Wow

We won (see letter below).

Beer shall flow tonight.

More at <http://www.johnallsopp.co.uk/blog200507.php4#swpat> (and work
upwards from there).

J


-------------------------- Original Message --------------------------
Subject: Re: Software patents
From:    "Richard Corbett MEP" <richard at richardcorbett.org.uk>
Date:    Wed, July 6, 2005 7:07
To:      john at johnallsopp.co.uk
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Mr Allsopp and members of the Scarborough Linux User Group,

You wrote to me recently on the subject of software patents and the 
proposed Directive on patentability of computer-implemented
inventions.

I thought you would like to know that the European Parliament voted 
today, shortly after 11am UK time, to reject the proposed Directive 
outright. Labour MEPs voted with their Socialist colleagues from
across  Europe in support of this motion, resulting in a huge majority
of MEPs  (648 to 14) voting to reject.

Parliament's decision to throw out the proposed Directive is final and
 the proposal cannot be resurrected. A change to the law is now no
longer  on the horizon.

If you would like more information, please do contact my office. I
will  be issuing a press release and updating my website shortly to
take into  account these developments. In the meantime, I would like
to thank the  hundreds of constituents who contacted my colleagues and
me on this  issue. Relying on your informed and clearly expressed
opinions, Labour  MEPs were able to vote accordingly and help to
reject this ill-judged  legislative proposal.

With best wishes,

Richard Corbett MEP