Richard Stallman's response on how we can use the so-called DRM consultation for the software patent lobby.
Teresa
-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Stallman
Civil Society representatives, user and consumer advocates were left almost speechless yesterday, October 11, at a hearing organised by the European Commission on Digital Rights Management. Due to the invitation policy of the Commission's DG Internal Market,
Isn't this the same directorate that issued the software patents directive? It clearly has been captured by certain large business interests.
Whatever you might have said to them, they would probably have paid no attention. However, their outrageous conduct might be a useful opportunity to win some support in the European Parliament. If you print out a copy of this announcement for every member of the European Parliament, adding a note "These are the same arrogant people that wrote the directive for software patents, that you had to fix last year", you might start building opposition to whatever they do next.
Another idea: campaign for the removal of the leader of this directorate, or even its abolition. Put them on the defensive!
Philippe Aigrain used to work for the EC, and he tried to fix the nasty parts of the recent "intellectual property" enforcement directive. He said that the response, when he pointed out an injustice, was never to fix it, but rather to disguise it so it was harder to spot. Was directive that also done by this directorate?