Danger of software patents in Europe
Hi,
Software patents are threating the freedom of programmers and users of
free software in Europe alike. If this becomes a reality then the Free
Software Community will suffer a hard blow to say the least. So if you
live in Europe please take this seriously, make your voice heard and
tell all other satisfied users of free software products about it!
Thanks
Detlev
Excerpt from the Web-Page
http://www.freepatents.org
"On June 24 and 25 1999 in Paris, France, the member states of the
Munchen convention are planning to legalize software patents in
Europe. No study has been made by member states about the economic
impact of legalizing software patents for independent software
publishers and developers. Such a decision would create a lot of
juridical uncertainty, playing havoc with the whole european
independent software industry, obstructing competition and, in the mid
term, slowing down innovation and investment in the software industry."
If you don´t think that software patents are a `real´ problem then
check out the story below about Microsoft patenting "The use of style
sheets in eletronic publishing systems":
http://www.slashdot.org/articles/99/02/04/169219.shtml
Original message:
From: Richard Stallman <gnu@gnu.org>
Newsgroups: gnu.announce,gnu.misc.discuss
Subject: Danger of software patents in Europe
Followup-To: gnu.misc.discuss
Date: Mon, 7 Jun 1999 12:26:33 -0600 (MDT)
Organization: Massachvsetts Institvte of Technology
Message-ID: <gnusenet199906071826.MAA20817@wijiji.santafe.edu>
Reply-To: gnu-misc-discuss@gnu.org
To: info-gnu@gnu.org, gnu-misc-discuss@gnu.org
The GNU Project urges all computer users in Europe to take a look
at www.freepatents.org, and then follow their recommendations for
action, to help avert the danger of software patents in Europe.
Please re-post this message widely in appropriate forums.
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