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I've been asked about the timeframe of the second reading. This should clarify the position slightly: From the AFFS. Council Presses On With Software Patents ----------------------------------------- Even though their original May 18th "agreement" was falling apart at the seems, and the Parliament was demanding a complete restart of the process, the European Council has pushed through its directive on software patents. This poses a number of direct problems. In a second reading at the Parliament, it is possible to table amendments to improve the directive. However, they require an absolute majority of *all* MEPs to vote for them (not just a majority of those present and voting [as in the first reading), which is a high hurdle. If the Parliament was unable to amend the directive, what would probably then happen is that the Council would also pass it unamended - at which point, it would become active and the battle lost. People need to keep doing what they are doing - this particular defeat was inflicted not because we had failed to make a case, but through a political sleight of hand. The second reading in the Council would be much tougher for those pro-software patents, as countries such as Poland have indicated that the original agreement the Council came to would be unachievable next time around. But, we need to get to a second reading at the Council, and we need the Parliament to do the same thing it did last time. In our favour is the fact that the Council has irritated the Parliament by completely disregarding the work it did in its first reading. If we can convert more UK MEPs to our side - the vast, vast majority are not - the work will be so much easier. The Parliament will have around three or four months to consider the directive in its second reading; we need to act now to convince our MEPs that the Council directive must be rewritten to put in place a proper law. -- Neil Williams ============= http://www.dcglug.org.uk/ http://www.nosoftwarepatents.com/ http://sourceforge.net/projects/isbnsearch/ http://www.neil.williamsleesmill.me.uk/ http://www.biglumber.com/x/web?qs=0x8801094A28BCB3E3
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