[CLUG] Software patents

Tue Mar 8 15:26:12 GMT 2005

(Sorry about the long email, please snip it when replying!)

There's actually a reasonably good thread on ILUG about it.

Frank Murphy is asking for info:
http://www.linux.ie/lists/pipermail/ilug/2005-March/023029.html

Niall O Brion responded with an example of a bad patent that could 
affect An Post, Easons, banks and shops:
http://www.linux.ie/lists/pipermail/ilug/2005-March/023034.html

(In correspondence copied below I left in the ILUG footer to make it 
clearer where each email ended)

Bernhard Rohrer wrote to Proinsias De Rossa, here's an email you could 
adapt to email Simon Coveney, Brian Crowley and Kathy Sinnott. Contact 
info for the MEPs is below too.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [ILUG] [Fwd: RE: Website Mail Comment - software patents]
Date: Tue, 08 Mar 2005 12:24:17 +0000
From: Bernhard Rohrer <graylionNOSPAM at sm-wg.net>
To: ilug at linux.ie

I thought y'all might find this interesting ;-)

Bernhard

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: RE: Website Mail Comment - software patents
Date: Tue, 8 Mar 2005 13:13:02 +0100
From: DE ROSSA Proinsias <pderossa at europarl.eu.int>
To: Bernhard Rohrer <graylion at sm-wg.net>

Dear Bernhard,

Thank you for your message. Following yesterday's decision by the
Competitiveness Council to adopt its 'common position' (first reading)
on the proposal, the European Parliament has now requested that the
Commission make a statement to the EP Plenary tomorrow in Strasbourg at
6.00pm. MEPs are awaiting with considerable interest to see what the
Commission has to say but it's important to remember that the EP has the
right to retable any of its first reading amendments from September 2003
not taken up in the Council's common position, which the EP has yet to
see, or to reject the common position entirely. If Council still refuses
to accept EP amendments, a 'conciliation committee' of MEPs and national
civil servants will meet  to reach a compromise. If none is found, the
proposal falls. The important point is that the Ministers do not take
the final decision on this issue - they must work with the EP.

On 4 February, the EP's Legal Affairs Committee voted overwhelmingly for
a complete restart to the negotiations. From our estimation, there is
still an anti-software patents majority within the EP following last
year's elections.

Proinsias took part in the debates on this issue in September 2003 -
check www.derossa.com

The EP's first reading position can be downloaded from
http://www2.europarl.eu.int/omk/sipade2?L=EN&OBJID=79550&MODE=SIP&NAV=X&
LSTDOC=N&LEVEL=2

-----Original Message-----
From: Bernhard Rohrer [mailto:graylionNOSPAM at sm-wg.net]
Sent: 08 March 2005 12:05
To: DE ROSSA Proinsias
Cc: head_office at labour.ie
Subject: Website Mail Comment - software patents

Message for Proinsias De Rossa

Hello Pronsias

I am writing to you as my MEP.

I am a German national living in Dublin 3 and would like to ask you to
do your utmost to stop the software patent directive which has been
pushed through by all sorts of weird procedural dodges and in clear
violation of the wishes of the parliament. It will be a major desaster
for small business, innovation and the EU, as some multinational
companies control all intellectual property on software. Did you know
that Micsosoft have tried to register a software patent on the operator
"not"?

Please do averything you can to stop that. Not only because it will be a
desaster for business in the EU but also because this IMO is a watershed
for democracy in the EU.

thanks

Bernhard Rohrer
30 Marino Green
Dublin 3

-- 
Irish Linux Users' Group
http://www.linux.ie/mailman/listinfo/ilug/

Here's some highlights from Colm:

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [ILUG] European Parliament heading on software patents
Date: Tue, 8 Mar 2005 15:07:41 +0000
From: Colm Buckley <colm at google.com>
To: Irish Linux Users' Group <ilug at linux.ie>

I have been informed by a number of MEPs that a meeting is being held
in Strasbourg tomrrow [Wednesday] evening at 6pm to discuss the issue.
In addition, the chairman of the JURI committee has requested full
documentation from Council regarding the procedure which was used to
pass the motion.  I urge again for all interested parties to write to
their MEPs and insist that they support the JURI committee and do
everything they can to ensure that all MEPs take steps to block the
proposed directive.

Thank you to Proinsias de Rossa (Labour) and Eoin Ryan (Fianna Fáil) in
particular who have been very responsive and helpful.

	Colm

-- 
Colm Buckley / colm at google.com / +353 87 2469146

-- 
Irish Linux Users' Group
http://www.linux.ie/mailman/listinfo/ilug/

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [ILUG] All is not yet lost...
Date: Tue, 8 Mar 2005 10:49:39 +0000
From: Colm Buckley <colm at google.com>
To: Irish Linux Users Group <ilug at linux.ie>

Received this from a member of Proinsias de Rossa's staff (the only MEP
yet to respond to my emails).

Begin forwarded message:

 > Date: 8 March 2005 10:22:22 GMT
 > To: "Colm Buckley" <colm at google.com>
 > Subject: RE: Directive on patentability (again)
 >
 > Colm,
 >
 > Thanks for your message. Following yesterday's decision in the
 > Competitiveness Council, the EP has requested that the Commission make
 > a
 > statement to the EP Plenary tomorrow in Strasbourg at 6.00pm. MEPs are
 > awaiting with considerable interest to see what the Commission has to
 > say but it's important to remember that the EP has the right to retable
 > any of its first reading amendments not taken up in the Council's
 > common
 > position, which the EP has yet to see, or to reject the common position
 > in its entirity. If Council still refuses to accept them, a
 > 'conciliation committee' of MEPs and national civil servants will meet
 > to reach a compromise. If none is found, the proposal falls. The
 > important point is that the Ministers do not take the final decision on
 > this issue - they must work with the EP.
 >
 > We'll keep you posted.
 >
 > Yours sincerely,
 >
 > Gerard Gibbons

-- 
Colm Buckley / colm at google.com / +353 87 2469146

-- 
Irish Linux Users' Group
http://www.linux.ie/mailman/listinfo/ilug/

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [ILUG] MEP contact info
Date: Tue, 8 Mar 2005 10:42:21 +0000
From: Colm Buckley <colm at tuatha.org>
To: Irish Linux Users Group <ilug at linux.ie>

Okay, if anyone is intending to contact their MEPs to express their
opposition to the proposed directive on software patentability, here's
the contact information:

DUBLIN AREA

	Proinsias De Rossa (Party of European Socialists / Labour)
	Liberty Hall, Room 1410, Dublin 1
	Tel: +353 1 874 6109
	Fax: +353 1 874 6096
	E-mail: pderossa at europarl.eu.int
	Website: www.derossa.com

	Mary Lou McDonald (European United Left / Sinn Féin)
	Sinn Fein Press Office, 44 Parnell Square, Dublin 1.
	Tel: +353 1 8722609
	Fax: +32 2 284 9945
	Email: mlmcdonald at europarl.eu.int

	Gay Mitchell, TD (European People's Party / Fine Gael)
	Leinster House, Dublin 2
	Tel: +353 1 618 3727
	Fax: +353 1 618 4512
	Email: gmitchell at europarl.eu.int

	Eoin Ryan, TD (Europe of the Nations Group / Fianna Fáil)
	19 Vavasour Square, Sandymount, Dublin 4
	Tel: +353 1 667 3790
	Fax: +353 1 667 3790
	Email: eryan at europarl.eu.int
	Website: www.eoinryan.ie

EASTERN AREA

	Liam Aylward, TD (Europe of the Nations Group / Fianna Fáil)
	Aghaviller, Hugginstown, Co. Kilkenny
	Tel: +353 1 6072291
	Fax: +353 1 6622170
	Email: laylward at europarl.eu.int

	Avril Doyle (European People's Party / Fine Gael)
	Richmond Terrace, Spawell Road, Wexford
	Tel: +353 53 21862
	Fax: +353 53 47810
	Email: adoyle at europarl.eu.int
	Website: www.avrildoyle.ie

	Mairead McGuinness (European People's Party / Fine Gael)
	Mentrim, Drumconrath, Co Meath
	Tel: +353 41 685 4633
	Fax: +353 41 685 4634
	Email: mmcguinness at europarl.eu.int
	Website: www.mcguinness4europe.ie

SOUTHERN AREA

	Simon Coveney, TD (European People's Party / Fine Gael)
	6a Anglesea Street, Cork
	Tel: +353 21 431 3100
	Fax: +353 21 431 6696
	Email: scoveney at europarl.eu.int
	Website: www.simoncoveney.ie

	Brian Crowley (Europe of the Nations Group / Fianna Fáil)
	Maryborough Lodge, Maryborough Hill, Douglas, Cork
	Tel: +353 21 4896 433
	Fax: +353 21 4896 401
	E-mail: bcrowley at europarl.eu.int
	Website: www.briancrowleymep.ie

	Kathy Sinnott (Independence and Democracy Group / Independent)
	St. Joseph, Ballinabearna, Ballinhassig, Co Cork
	Tel: +353 21 488 8503
	Fax : +32 2 284 9692
	Email: ksinnott at europarl.eu.int

NORTH-WESTERN AREA

	Marian Harkin, TD (Liberals and Democrats for Europe / Independent)
	1 Dominic Street, Sligo
	Tel: +353 71 9145888
	Fax : +32 2 284 9797
	Email: mharkin at europarl.eu.int
	Website: www.marianharkin.ie

	Senator Jim Higgins (European People's Party / Fine Gael)
	Devlis, Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo
	Tel: +353 1 618 3109
	Fax: +353 1 618 4582
	Email: jhiggins at europarl.eu.int

	Seán Ó Neachtain (Europe of the Nations Group / Fianna Fáil)
	42 Prospect Hill, Galway
	Tel: +353 91 5600 20
	Fax: +353 91 5600 23
	Email: soneachtain at europarl.eu.int
	Website: www.oneachtain.com

NORTHERN IRELAND

	Jim Allister (unattached / DUP)
	91 Dundela Avenue, Belfast, BT4 3BU, Northern Ireland
	Tel: +44 28 9047 1155
	Fax: +44 28 9047 1797
	Email: jallister at europarl.eu.int

	Bairbre De Brun (European United Left / Sinn Féin)
	Sinn Féin Press Office, 53 Falls Road, Belfast BT12 4PD, Northern
Ireland
	Tel: +44 28 9022 3000
	Fax: +32 2 284 9222
	Email: bdebrun at europarl.eu.int

	Jim Nicholson (European People's Party / UUP)
	UUP HQ, Cunningham House, 429 Holywood Rd, Belfast BT4 2LN, Northern
Ireland
	Tel: +44 28 9076 5500
	Fax: +44 28 9076 9419
	Email: jnicholson at europarl.eu.int

Hope this helps,

	Colm

-- 
Colm Buckley / colm at tuatha.org / +353 87 2469146 / www.colm.buckley.name

-- 
Irish Linux Users' Group
http://www.linux.ie/mailman/listinfo/ilug/

adam beecher wrote:
> Are there any organised Irish efforts to bollock Irish MEPs on the software
> patents issue? I don't want to have to trawl through the usual garbage on
> ILUG, and I'm certainly not supporting a prick like this anymore:
> 
> http://www.nosoftwarepatents.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=397
> 
> Assuming it hasn't been done already, could we draft a form letter for
> sending to MEPs? I know form letters aren't brilliant, but people just
> aren't going to do it themselves, at least it'd be /something/.
> 
> Obviously this isn't just about software patents any more, it's also about
> our /elected/ representatives having little or no power against /unelected/
> assholes that can be bought or sold. So there's no reason we shouldn't get
> mammy and daddy euroskeptic involved too.
> 
> (As it happens I'm a federalist, but this, this is ridiculous...)
> 
> adam
> 
> ___________________________
> BEECHER.NET - ICT Services
> http://beecher.net/
> 
> _______________________________________________
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> http://www.linux.ie/mailman/listinfo/cork
> 
> 