[Fsfe-ie] Re: Fsfe-ie Digest, Vol 12, Issue 13
Justin Mason
jm at jmason.org
Sun May 9 03:10:16 CEST 2004
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Hi Chekov!
Chekov Feeney writes:
> Firstly, I think that it is important to recognise that logical
> persuasion and argument have very limited possibilities when it comes to
> influencing governmental decisions on things like this. If they want to
> know the arguments, they can - they have vast resources for information
> gathering. In cases like this their actions are based on the fact that
> software patents are supported by big business, who employ thousands of
> full time lobbyists in Brussels and have powerful institutions to
> forward their agenda at EU level such as the European Round Table of
> Industrialists and the article 133 committee. To make them change their
> position, pressure rather than logic must be applied. The recent
> succesful campaign against e-voting provides a good model, although I
> think that we are up against much more powerful forces on the issue of
> software patents.
Definitely.
> >A good idea might be a letter from a diverse group of computer
> >scientists.
> >
> This is definitely a good idea. With an issue like software patents, it
> is going to be impossible to mobilise large numbers of people. Instead
> better to concentrate on attempting to mobilise specific groups of
> 'opinion formers' whom the government are loathe to alienate. In
> addition to computer scientists, I'd suggest targeting SME's in the
> field of IT and even opposition politicians. There is a lobby group
> called Democracy and Public Services in Europe (DAPSE) that is fairly
> mainstream and has succeeded in getting upwards of 30 TD's and MEP's to
> sign similar petitions to the government about EU decisions and I'd say
> they'd be sympathetic. I could contact them and see if they could
> circulate such a petition. In the run-up to the Euro elections there
> are a fair few candidates that will be happy to sign up if they think it
> might give them a smidgeon of publicity.
There's one possible problem with SMEs: often, their investors are
pro-patent, and want the companies to apply for patents, get them,
and hold them as assets. As a result, an SME talking publicly against
software patenting may not be what their investors want to hear,
and so that'd discourage SMEs from supporting this publically.
Worth a go anyway, but that's worth knowing.
> large-scale breaking of the laws such as a large
> number of people openly using a piece of patented software for the
> benefits of the media. Prosecutions are very unlikely in such a case
> and would be a PR disaster for the government.
FWIW, that's pretty easy -- save a JPEG or GIF file from The Gimp. ;)
- --j.
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