[Sheflug] Software Patents

[Richard Ibbotson <xxxxx [at] xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi

There might be some of you out there who have an interest in the Euro 
patents software thing that's very much in discussion just now.  The 
Governments view is that the software patents battle that is taking 
place in the States is very much something that we should import it 
into this country.  The only country in Europe that is supporting 
this and a Euro version of DMCA is England.  Most of the support for 
this comes from some very wealthy legal people.  Us ordinary folk are 
not important.  For more info you might like to have a look at ....

http://petition.eurolinux.org/pr/pr14.html?LANG=en

and you may also wish to have a look at .....

http://europa.eu.int/comm/internal_market/en/indprop/comp/02-277.htm

and

http://www.patent.gov.uk/about/consultations/conclusions.htm

You should an interest in this.  Sheffield may be in England but it 
is now very much a part of Europe and we should think about our 
future.  The Government are not in support of the kind of software 
that we use or develop.  You should be aware of that.   It's true 
that the Civil Service are in support of GNU/Linux and the BSDs.  
But, they have a different agenda from the other crowd who really do 
want to see the end of free versions of Unix or GNU/Linux.

See also....

http://fsfeurope.org/


Thanks


-- 
Richard
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