[Fsfe-ie] ok, patent letter being sent now, please take a look asap

Glenn Strong Glenn.Strong at cs.tcd.ie
Fri May 14 16:38:41 CEST 2004


On Friday, May 14, 2004 at 15:20 +0100, Ian Clarke wrote:
> Ciaran O'Riordan wrote:
> > Between other things, the letter to Mary Harney never got sent, but here's a
> > letter.  I want to send it immediately, so can I get the go ahead from
> > another committee member?
> 
> Well, thats not me, but FWIW it looks good and you are right to send it 
> ASAP, one or two nitpicks:

I agree that it looks good - send (with the corrections noted by Ian).

Just a couple more nits:

> > companies are allowed to patent techinques required for writing certain file
                                  techniques

> > copyright is instant, free, and doesn't intefere with other peoples work.
                                            interfere

> > Since the mid-ninties, some businesses have been builing a new business
                  nineties                           building

> > Software patents are particularly harmful to Free Software, moreso than
                                                                more so

> > software patents would be disastrous for Europes software developers and
                                             Europe's

> Also, would it be worth pointing out that the draft for discussion got 
> rid of many of the safeguards created by the EP amendments?

Perhaps it could fit in the last paragraph - very quickly written
alternative wording (only the last sentence changed):

 Last September, we were pleased that Ireland's MEPS, along with the
 majority of the European Parliament, voted to adopt a set of
 amendments which would clarify that software innovations are excluded
 from patentability.  For the reasons given above, we believe it is
 clear that the introduction of legal software patents would be
 disastrous for Europe's software developers and software users.
 Noting that the recent draft for discussion has removed many of the
 safeguards introduced by the amendments we ask that you support the
 decision of the Irish MEPs and the parliament.

Not sure if that reads better, though. There's no ambiguity about what
we're asking for, so it might be better that the letter goes out today.

-- 
Glenn Strong



More information about the FSFE-IE mailing list