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[LUG] Software patents: EU Commission negates democracy

 

Now this is hot news - but it's also bad news.

EU Commission Declines Patent Debate Restart
http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/02/28/2223232&tid=155

Commission won't restart patents directive!

 The Commission's Directorate General for the Internal Market, which
is responsible for the directive, has informed several parties today
it has denied the EP's request for a restart of the much contested
software patents directive. FFII confirmed this information with Ms
Antonia Carparelli, deputy head cabinet of Commissioner Walström's
office and responsible for relations with the Parliament. She said

  "Yes, Barrosso has declined the restart. McCreevy is involved,
  but did not take the final decision. The college acts by
  majority, but in this case there was no vote, because the
  decision was based on a previous discussion in the college."

Yes, you read that right. NO VOTE took place.

Democracy? What's that then?

http://wiki.ffii.org/Com050228En

It ain't over yet - despite what the BBC might have said:

Any celebrations about the directive being thrown out were premature - the BBC 
site for one got carried away:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4274811.stm [bbc.co.uk]
The European Parliament has thrown out a bill that would have allowed software 
to be patented.

We wish! The headline was more accurate than the sub-text:
EU software patent law faces axe

Faces, but the axe isn't falling yet.

-- 

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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