[ILUG] Software Patents Agreement Adopted

[Colm Buckley]

On 7 Mar 2005, at 20:45, John Madden wrote:

> Has anyone received word from any politicians since the decision?

Not since today, but my MEP (Proinsias de Rossa) has promised me (and 
others) that he will do everything he can to ensure that the EP blocks 
this directive when it comes back for the second reading.  It *will* be 
hard to get enough MEPs into the chamber to ensure that it's blocked, 
but the fact that the council has ignored two requests from the EP to 
restart the process is now likely to be a bigger motivator than the 
actual issue...

I reiterate; everyone who thinks that this is important should write to 
their MEP *immediately* and complain about the Council's decision.  
Keep it simple - "Council is using procedural dodges to get around the 
fact that this directive no longer has a qualified majority, and has 
pushed it through against the twice-expressed will of Parliament.  It's 
a disaster for the European software industry; we're effectively 
handing the whole thing on a plate to a handful of U.S. companies."

*Please* do this today!

	Colm

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