[Sheflug] Eurolinux UK patent consultation alert

[Richard Ibbotson <xxxxx [at] xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear all

Just got this from the Eurolinux people.  Thought you might like to 
read it ......


Subject: Eurolinux UK patent consultation alert

We would like to remind you that the UK Patent Office is asking for
public comments on the European Commissions proposal for a directive
on the "patentability of computer-implementable inventions".   You
 can find some more background information at

	http://www.linux.org.uk/
	http://swpat.ffii.org/players/uk/

The specific questions that the UKPO asks are at

	http://www.patent.gov.uk/patent/notices/misc/softpat.htm

However, in addition to these questions you may also wish to comment
on whether you agree to the UKPO's interpretation of the first
consultation round, whether you think the admission of patents
on "software with a technical effect" will be useful etc.

Another hint:
Only the last 3 pages of the 22-page Commission document at

 http://europa.eu.int/comm/internal_market/en/indprop/comp/com02-92en.
pdf

are the actual proposal, for a more detailed critique see

  http://swpat.ffii.org/papers/eubsa-swpat0202/

You may want to state whether you allow, encourage or forbid the UKPO
 from publishing your statement on their website.

You can send an additional copy to

        petition [at] eurolinux.org

so as to have your statement published on the petition page. 
 Moreover you can send your drafts to petition [at] eurolinux.org to ask
 for our comments.

The official deadline is today (07 June 2002, though if you send sth
on the weekend it will also arrive by the next working day on
 Monday), nonetheless maybe keep it short and simple (e.g. citing
 examples where your company is affected).

I apologize this comes very short-termed; if you want to support
 Eurolinux to do these things (maybe from an UK viewpoint) more
 long-term in future you are welcome to write to
 petition [at] eurolinux.org or to me.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us or to join the
 European software patents mailing list
(http://www.aful.org/mailman/listinfo/patents/)

Also pls do not hesitate to send any critique or comments to
petition@eurolinux.org (there will be a confirmation message which
hopefully won't deter you).

If you like surveys ;-), please tick

[ ] I have already written to the UKPO
[ ] I will write to the UKPO
[ ] I will not write to the UKPO this time
[ ] I don't like being "alerted", don't spam me again

(Alan Cox and Hartmut Pilch also had endorsed a draft version of this
 letter.)




-- 
Richard

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