[Fsfe-ie] TODO, last patent action

[Ciaran O'Riordan]

Right, so there's consensus that we need to do a final push on the
patents issue.  Here's my suggestion, it requires that a few of us to
work together:

Send a 4-page document set to each MEP:
page 1: why software patents are bad for irish industry
page 2: Vote for amendments X, Y, & Z.  If not passed, vote No.
page 3: short/medium list of names endorsing this position
page 4: A short computer program in an ultra readable language.
(either violating a current trivial patent, or completing a generally
useful task, therefore showing the indirect effect of software
patentability on the patentability of ideas in general)

What people need to do:
1. Collect names of people who endorse this position, each name should
include one or two of: county, occupation, contact email.  (this can
be done simply by asking this and other lists, tell people to mail you
offlist to keep low-interest traffic down.) We don't need a hundred
people, just a few so that the MEPs know we're not just a class at
college or a bunch of faddist friends.

2. Can someone volunteer to mail/fax these docs?  (two people?)

3. With each package, we should send a contact email/phone/address.
This work needs to be shared.  Who is willing to be a contact?
(I'm hoping 4 others will put their names forward, 3 MEPs each) 

4. We need to find out what amendments we want.  I'm working on
this but a second person would be helpful.

5. Write the one page "why patents are bad" sheet.  I'm nearly done
with my draft.  I'll use a better title :)

6. Can someone write the one page trivial computer program, in a
readable language (PASCAL, BASIC, SQL?, BASH, Dos shell).
It should be understandable with a simple explanatory comment at the
top.  Infringe a patent or do something generally useful, something
that must not become patentable.

Does this sound good?

so, we need:
2 mailers/faxers
5 people willing to be contacted by MEPs
1 person to write MEP-readable code
Everyone to sign the document (if they want)
2 people to research what amendments are being pushed by similar orgs.

Who will work on this?

let me know if you have any amendments or proposals etc. but
lets get this done rather than end up like the EU :P

ciaran.