Hi,
Perhaps you can bring the following up with the Tánaiste when you are speaking with her.
On Wednesday of this week, hundreds of software engineers and small business owners protested in Brussels against the introduction of Software Patents in the EU. In September the European Parliament made amendments and clarifications to a proposal to prevent it from legalizing software patents, yet the European Council's internal working party chose to discard these amendments.
Does the Irish Presidency recognise the risks to innovation and competition in the software industry that software patents create, and if so, why discard the European Parliaments efforts to address these risks?
Some points of information: 1. The view of the United States' Federal Trade Commission is "that software and Internet patents are impeding innovation" (FTC report, "To Promote Innovation: The Proper Balance of Competition and Patent Law and Policy", http://www.ftc.gov/os/2003/10/innovationrpt.pdf, page 165. See a summary at http://www.ffii.org.uk/ftc/ftc.html). 2. A policy of allowing software patents benefits the large companies who hold huge patent portfolios where they are allowed. Ms. Harney's brief, as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment is to encourage innovation and invention in Irish businesses. 3. A regime of software patents make it extremely difficult for small companies or contractors to implement web sites or other software applications for clients due to the cost and effort involved to ensure that no patents are infringed. 4. Software is already protected (and well protected) by copyright. If this measure is introduced, the software industry will be covered by both copyright and patents. There is no need for that belt-and-braces approach.
Yours,
Éibhear Ó hAnluain
-- Éibhear Ó hAnluain The Irish Free Software Organisation, "To promote and defend Free Software in Ireland", http://ifso.info/