From: Heide Rühle <info@heide-ruehle.de>
To: "Sven Krohlas" <darkshadow@web.de>
Subject: Abstimmung des EU-Parlamentes über die Legalisierung von Softwarepatenten
Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2003 10:35:07 +0200
Dear Sven,
Thank you for your email concerning the McCarthy report on computer
implemented inventions (com 2002-092). Like all Green parties in the
European Union, we share your concern that software patents and patents on
business methods are a threat for the European software developpers.
The Greens/Efa in European Parliament are fighting on this dossier in order
to prevent software patents to be legalized in the Union; we have organized
two conferences with Richard Stallman (in November 2002 "Is software
patenting necessary?" and in May 2003 "Software patents and SMEs" with David
Axmark, Opera, Graphic Convertor,...). You will find more info on our
website http://www.greens-efa.org
Regarding our work inside European Parliament we tabled amendements - and
won- in the culture committee and again in the industry committee but we
lost in the committee for legal affairs as the rapporteur (Arlene Mac
Carthy, member of the Social Democrat Group, UK Labour) refused any
compromise. We thus voted against her text.
Lately we opposed the very fast and very discrete attempt to add the report
on the plenary of July : it is now scheduled for September (see
http://www.europarl.eu.int).
You can be ensured that we will defend software freedom in plenary as well.
Sincerely yours,
mit freundlichen Grüßen
Kathrin Kummerow
persönliche Referentin
Heide Rühle, MdEP
Die Grünen/EFA
Unter den Linden 50
10117 Berlin
030. 227 78411
030. 227 76392
info@heide-ruehle.de
www.heide-ruehle.de