FSFE-IE May 2004

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just one RMS talk: which day: Saturday or Monday?
by Ciaran O'Riordan 06 May '04

06 May '04

RMS has too much on his plate to take on two talks, so he'll give one talk - the software patents talk.

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Morning Ireland piece on Software Patents
by Ben North 06 May '04

06 May '04

Another one from Morning Ireland: There was a short piece about the Software Patent Directive on at about 0750 this morning (06-May-2004). There was a brief introduction, then a short interview with a representative of (I think) some venture capital company. The interviewee said that he was worried about the amended version of the directive passed by the Parliament back in September (the one we like). He was worried it would reduce investment, and he and others were meeting with some (Irish) parliament committee later today to put the point of view that they should go back to the original text. The interviewee seemed to think he had the ear of the appropriate people and that the Irish presidency of the EU would help him get his preferred version of the directive through. I may be mis-remembering some of this, but would this be worth a quick email to RTE pointing out the other side? Perhaps for now we should concentrate on getting our patent letter out, though. http://www.rte.ie/news/morningireland.html doesn't have today's show up yet, but will soon I expect. Ben.

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"PUSH FOR PATENT CHANGE, GOVERNMENT URGED"
by Ian Clarke 06 May '04

06 May '04

Dear Mr Fanning, I was disappointed by the one-sided nature of the short piece on "software implemented inventions" in today's Morning Business News. Brian Caulfield does not speak for the many people within the software industry who fought for and support the Parliament's amendments. These people feel so strongly about this issue that on the 14th of April hundreds of them traveled from all over Europe to attend a demonstration in Brussels in support of the European Parliament's amendments to this directive. Patents on software are not currently permitted in the EU, but the unamended version of this directive, which Brian Caulfield supports, sought to changed this. Numerous economic studies have shown that software patents, where permitted, stifle competition and innovation in the software industry. They create legal uncertainty for innovators, and allow large companies to establish "war chests" of software patents on trivial processes which they can use to attack smaller competitors. I would ask that RTE strive to present both points of view in future coverage of this contentious issue. You can find out more about why people are opposed to software patents at http://swpat.ffii.org/ Yours Sincerely, Ian Clarke Chief Executive Officer, Cematics Ltd

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Re: [Fsfe-ie] new plan: can IFSO host TWO talks by RMS?
by teresahackett＠eircom.net 06 May '04

06 May '04

I don't understand. Won't he need 2 nights in a hotel + expenses e.g. Aircoach, meals, taxis (or can someone ferry him to the venues, etc.) As good hosts ;-) we will need to take him out to dinner. Aren't we looking at 250-300 Euro? Teresa > The only expenses that need to be covered are the cost of the venue(s) - so > that'll be between UCD Netsoc and MiNDS> to sort out.

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Ha(ir|re)-brained idea for the patents action week
by Éibhear 05 May '04

05 May '04

Hi, I've had an odd notion. Point 1: Some of you may have noticed that some companies have letter franking machines that can include advertising messages as part of the "stamp". "Visit Athlone, it's not too wet." "For a cosy flight, use Ryanair", surrounded by wavy lines. That sort of thing. Point 2: Oracle Corporation, a company I worked for from 1994 to 2000 has has a position, at least since 1994, against software patentability. See http://www.ibiblio.org/patents/txt/020294.txt, http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/hearings/software/sanjose/sj_baker.html and http://lpf.ai.mit.edu/Patents/testimony/statements/oracle.statement.html for more information. Anyway, would it be a good idea to approach companies in Ireland with similar franking machines to ask them to change their message-of-the-day to something like "Software patents prevent innovation, see http://ifso.ie/" for some of next week (the proposed action week). The referring web site could be FFII's, or FSFE's or the web page of the company itself outlining its policy regarding patents. It's a long shot, for two main reasons: * The time is short * We would have to focus on companies (or organisations) with such franking machines and who have positions supporting ours... and the problem there is identifying them, especially in the time available. The benefit will be hard to quantify. However, if some companies take up the notion, then every letter each company sends during the week will bear a short message highlighting our point. Perhaps some people who weren't aware of the issue will become aware and ask some questions. I'll start getting in touch with the people I know in Oracle to find out who has the authority to specify a message like this. Does anyone know of other companies and organisations that might fulfil the two requirements: A franking machine that can display messages and who oppose software patents? What would be the ideal message? I'm assuming that the more complex the message (graphics, etc) the more difficult this will be to pull off on time. Lastly, Is this a worth-while effort? Let me know what you think or who might be approachable on this issue. Éibhear -- Éibhear Ó hAnluain IFSO Ireland.

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Re: [Fsfe-ie] patent letter to be sent thursday night
by Éibhear 05 May '04

05 May '04

One thing I see is this sentence: > Software development has no constraints - > patents would add constraints (whereas in > other fields it just increases constraints, > which is simply a matter of degree - for > software it changes the development > process completely). The point in parenthesis is important of itself, and need not be hidden away by brackets. How about... "Software development has no constraints. In other fields, patents add to the constraints of development. However, in software, the new constraints would require a radical change in the development process." ...? Éibhear -- Éibhear Ó hAnluain IFSO Ireland.

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Re: [Fsfe-ie] new plan: can IFSO host TWO talks by RMS?
by Malcolm Tyrrell 05 May '04

05 May '04

> could we charge admission or vol. contribution? > That way we could cover RMS costs and maybe have > something for an IFSO conference later in the year. This is an important question. Alternatively, we might be able to get sponsorship. Does anyone have experience with this? Another point is that tickets for talks like this, whether charged for or not, usually must be collected from somewhere in advance. (Sorry about that sentence). Malcohol.

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Re: [Fsfe-ie] new plan: can IFSO host TWO talks by RMS?
by teresahackett＠eircom.net 05 May '04

05 May '04

I'll invite the journos I've had contact with. Can you do a short newsflash or something on the homepage with basic details, when sorted. If it comes off, will be a good opportunity to recruit members, I can help out with that if you like. Secondary issue, could we charge admission or vol. contribution? That way we could cover RMS costs and maybe have something for an IFSO conference later in the year. Good work! Teresa > I'm eager to finalise stuff too, so that we can start promoting it.

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new plan: can IFSO host TWO talks by RMS?
by Ciaran O'Riordan 05 May '04

05 May '04

RMS is available from the 22-24th (Sat-Mon), and is willing to give both his free software and his software patents talks. It seems to be hard to get a venue on a Sunday, so I'll ask him to give his free software speech on the Saturday and his software patents speech on the Monday. On Saturday we have UCD for a venue (thanks to David Cathcart) -are there any time constraints on this? I suppose evening is best? On Monday we'd have (?) -UCD again would be good, or a city centre venue? Is this all the right idea? The reason for the order of the talks is that his free software speech would have broader appeal and could increase the turn out for his software patents speech. Also, I have it in my head that politicians are more likely to attend events during the week (?), so it'd be good to have them hear the software patents speech. I think we should invite as many politicians as possible to these talks (such as Mary Hanafin, as Éibhear suggested) I don't know the procedure for this so I'll ask a friendly MEP. (Ryan? do you know?) (correct me where I'm wrong, I'm trying to get the dates set asap so that we can publicise the event(s), so I haven't researched anything exhaustively.) -- Ciarán O'Riordan http://www.compsoc.com/~coriordan/ Irish Free Software Organisation: http://ifso.ie

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Fw: [FSFE PR][EN] Software Patents in Europe - Indication of an action week to European Media
by Ciaran O'Riordan 04 May '04

04 May '04

Here's an FSF Europe press release and an FSFE+FFII common position on software patents. (I was actually revising the patents letter - after dusting it off - when I got this. I'll mail a new version to the list and I think it should be sent on thursday.) Joachim Jakobs <jj(a)pr-profi.com> writes: > Dear Collegues, > Dear Madam, > Dear Sir, > > in September last year the European Parliament affirmed not to legalize > software patents in Europe. Less than seven months later, in cooperation > with some national governments and the commission, the Irish Presidency > of the European Union has drafted a working paper in favour of software > patents. The paper will most likely be voted upon May 17th, 2004. > > Not only does such behaviour distort legislation and trample on > democracy, it also risks considerable negative consequences for > economy and society. > > The Free Software Foundation Europe [1] and the Foundation for a Free > Informational Infrastructure [2] endorse an action week from May 10th > to 14th to inform citizens, economy and politics about the harmful > consequences of this initiative. In the course of this action week > demonstrations and panel discussions in many European cities [3] will > take place. These actions are accompanied by an open letter to the > citizens of Europe. To inform you ex ante we have enclosed the joint > position of FSFE and FFII concerning software patents (see below). > > We would appreciate it if you could inform your readers on this issue > and have an open discussion with us and others. You will receive the > open letter by the beginning of next week. If you need further > assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us. > > With kind regards, > > Joachim Jakobs > > __________________________________________________ > Joachim Jakobs Tel: 0179/6919565 > In der Roede 24 jj(a)pr-profi.com > 64367 Mühltal www.pr-profi.com > ___________________________________________________ > > > Common Position of the Free Software Foundation Europe e.V. and the > Foundation for a Free Informational Infrastructure e.V. > > According to some within the EU council, software should also be subject > to patentability. This includes protection beyond the source code of an > application, which is covered in Copyright law, but also the result. > Many different implementations with similar results are therefore > threatened by a single patent. > > Through this mechanism, an arbitrarily chosen random number of ideas can > be turned into a monopolized area. A solution to the problem is not even > required: A vague idea is sufficient! > > The online bookstore Amazon.com filed a patent in Europe to cover its > "one-click-technology" allowing single click purchases for registered > users. The well-known "progress bar", usually used during installation > routines, has been granted long before. > > In a letter [4] to the EU commission in November last year the CEOs of > Alcatel, Ericsson, Nokia and Siemens took a position vehemently in > favour of software patents. This seems to imply that at least large > companies benefit from software patents: Smaller competitors can be > driven out of business easily and the big players can do mutual > "cross-licensing": "If you let me use 1000 of your patents, you get > permission to use 1000 of mine." > > This impression is far from reality, though. Internet protocol telephony > for example is a complex mesh of different compression methods - or in > other words: different patented ideas. According to professor Henning > Schulzrinne of Columbia University (New York), internet telephony has no > chance in markets threatened by software patents. He only sees the > option to wait 17 years until the patents have expired [5]. > > The aformentioned CEOs do a disservice to their companies: software > patents cost them access to a market that market researcher Gartner > expects to have a turnover of 3.6 billion Euro until 2007 [6]. > > How is it possible that four global players follow such a short-sighted > policy? The answer is simple: they trust "false friends" - their patent > departments, patent attorneys, patent specialists in professional > organisations. Munich alone has 700 representatives of this profession > [7] + [8] - no wonder that the chamber of patent attorneys is in favour > software patents in a 12 page position [9]. > > The nuisance of the patent system in the software field has been > scientifically explored by MIT, the Massachusetts Institue of > Technology. Its researchers discovered in a 2003 study [10] that > companies holding more software patents invest less into research and > development. > > What are the consequences for government, society and economy as a whole > if this legislation is not resisted? We punish and discourage > creativity. We put societal development into the hands of bureaucrats > who bully us for their own benefit at every turn. > > Czech President Vaclav Klaus said in the German Newspaper Handelsblatt > few days ago: "The EU is not about freedom and openness, but about > bureaucratization, regulation and harmonization". Let us not prove him > true! > > [1] www.fsfeurope.org <http://www.fsfeurope.org> > [2] www.ffii.org <http://www.ffii.org> > [3] http://kwiki.ffii.org/SwpDemo0405En > [4] http://swpat.ffii.org/news/03/telcos1107/index.en.html > <http://swpat.ffii.org/news/03/telcos1107/index.en.html> > [5] http://swpat.ffii.org/patente/wirkungen/voip/index.de.html > [6] > http://www.computerwoche.de/index.cfm?pageid=254&artid=54004&main_id=54004&… > <http://www.computerwoche.de/index.cfm?pageid=254&artid=54004&main_id=54004&…> > [7] http://www.patentanwaltskammer.de/cgi-bin/find_map.cgi?key=80 > [8] http://www.patentanwaltskammer.de/cgi-bin/find_map.cgi?key=81 > [9] http://www.patentanwaltskammer.de/aktuell/040318_6_03_Zur_Sache_3.pdf > [10] http://swpat.ffii.org/papers/bessenhunt03/index.en.html > <http://swpat.ffii.org/papers/bessenhunt03/index.en.html> > > > > -- > Joachim Jakobs Tel: 0179/6919565 > In der Roede 24 jj(a)pr-profi.com > 64367 Mühltal www.pr-profi.com > ___________________________________________________ > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Press-release mailing list > Press-release(a)fsfeurope.org > https://mail.fsfeurope.org/mailman/listinfo/press-release > -- Ciarán O'Riordan http://www.compsoc.com/~coriordan/ Irish Free Software Organisation: http://ifso.ie

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FSFE-IE May 2004