Re: [Fsfe-uk] Software patent tactics

[Chris Lale]

Just before Christmas 2002 I wrote to the LibDem MEP Graham Watson. As a
result, he put down a parliamentary written question (E3927/02). See
http://www2.europarl.eu.int/omk/OM-Europarl?PROG=WQ&L=EN&PUBREF=-//EP//TEXT+WQ+E-2002-3927+0+DOC+SGML+V0//EN&LEVEL=3&NAV=S

The question was slightly confused, but still useful:

'What can the Commission do to ensure that its proposals for the 
patenting of software do not deprive internet users of the benefit of 
superior applications and operating systems developed through "free" and 
"open source" software?'

The answer was somewhat self-contradictory, starting with:

'Computer software as such is excluded from patentability under the 
European Patent Convention and the laws of the Member States, and the 
Commission has no intention of changing this situation.'

and then proceding to say the opposite.

Anybody writing to MEPs may find some useful quotes here. Its a 
<SHUDDER> 'Word' </SHUDDER> document.

Chris.

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