[Fsfe-ie] Software patents in Europe

Ian Clarke ian at locut.us
Sat May 8 14:41:10 CEST 2004


Dear Sir,

There was a time when anybody with a good idea, a computer, and a bit of 
knowledge could create a new piece of software, but if the EU Council of 
Ministers gets its way, software innovation in Europe will become a very 
costly business indeed.

Last September the European Parliament listened to the concerns of 
software innovators and amended the software patent directive to prevent 
patents on pure software, but now, in a stunningly anti-democratic move, 
the Council of Ministers is trying to throw out these amendments.  They 
are doing this under pressure from large multinational corporations who 
will be able to use their vast hoard of software patents to attack 
smaller European competitors.

Information technology has changed the world over the past few decades, 
and it did it without software patents.  Will the Council put the wishes 
of European innovators above those of powerful vested interests?

Your Sincerely,

Ian Clarke.
Chief Executive Officer, Cematics Ltd.

Phone (not for publication): +44 131 555 9390.



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