[wilhelmtux-discussion] Fwd: Europarl Hearing on Software Patents

Sascha Brawer brawer at acm.org
Mit Apr 9 13:55:09 CEST 2003


(This might be of interest to people on this list).
Sascha Brawer, brawer at dandelis.ch

---------------- Begin Forwarded Message ----------------
Subject: Europarl Hearing on Software Patents
Date Sent: Wednesday, April 9, 2003 9:50 AM
From: phm at ffii.org

Dear Eurolinux Petition Supporter,

Thank you for signing our

	Petition for a Software Patent Free Europe
	http://petition.eurolinux.org/

a while ago, and for allowing us to inform you about upcoming actions.[1]

We now need your input again.

The European Parliament is likely to ratify a Software Patent
Directive, possibly with helpful amendments, in May or June.  Detailed
news are found at

	http://swpat.ffii.org/news/index.en.html

The Green and Liberal Fractions of the European Parliament are calling
on representatives of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) to speak at a
hearing on May 8th about the Software Patent Directive Project.

Please consider speaking at this hearing, if you can speak for a
company.  Companies from Eastern Europe (future member countries) are
also (and even particularly) welcome.  Contact us for details.

You may also want to come to the event in Brussels on May 8th or
other events, see

	http://swpat.ffii.org/events/2003/europarl/

Everybody at the European Parliament is speaking about small and
medium enterprises (SMEs).  Many lobbyists are there every day, asking
for software patents on behalf of SMEs.  But the SMEs themselves are
not there.

So if you go the the parliament directly as a person from a software
company, you are likely to get some attention.

You don't have time?

Then ask yourself: will you have time for dealing with patent
extortion and monopoly software later on?

If that convinces you, here are a few things to do:

(1) Endorse our Amendment Proposals by clicking

	http://petition.ffii.org/eubsa/en
	
    or, if you are not new to our system, by logging in at
    
    	http://petition.ffii.org/
	
    and then navigating through "Signing Appeals".	
	
(2) Now you are logged into a system which makes it easy to
    select and contact Members of the European Parliament (MEPs)
  
    Click
	
      ==> My MEPs 
      ==> I would rather select an MEP myself 
      ==> [ selection criteria ] 
      ==> [ 1 MEP ]

(3) Directly phone your MEP, express your concern about the
    "Software Patent Directive Project", find out who in this MEP's
    office is studying the matter, how they think and whom they
    follow, and leave a note in the "My MEP" data form.

(4) Write to the person with whom you just phoned.
    Keep it simple, but feel free to ask for our assistance in formulating.
    Also, feel free to use your national language.  
    In any case, send us a copy.

(5) Make a donation for our lobbying expenses.  We are spending at least
    30,000 EUR on top of a lot of unpaid voluntary work, and we will not
    be able to pay all our bills unless you come forward with donations.

    The bank account for a donation is 

        Germany
	Bank Code 70150000
	S.W.I.F.T.: SSKM DE MM
	Bank Address: DE 80335 München Lotstr 1
	Name of Bank: Stadtsparkasse München
	Account: 31112097
	Account Owner: FFII e.V.
        Keyword: europarl

It would be great if you could get started with at least one of the
above items right now.

Yours sincerely
Mit freundlichen Gruessen
Amicalement

-- 
Hartmut Pilch, FFII & Eurolinux Alliance              tel. +49-89-12789608   
Protecting Innovation against Patent Inflation	     http://swpat.ffii.org/
140,000 signatures against software patents          http://noepatents.org/

[1] If someone abused your email address, please inform us, so that we

    can remove your signature from the petition.

----------------- End Forwarded Message -----------------