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Patents Software Your Rights Online

Europeans, Tweak Your Representatives On Patents 234

Posted by timothy from the pull-their-noses-gently dept.
zoobab writes "The FFII is launching a call for action to push European candidates to answer questions on Software Patents. Alan Cox has also written a open letter in which he points out that those European elections are an opportunity for each citizen to have the choice and to make the politicians listen. Get the questionnaire and send it to the candidates of your country!"
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Europeans, Tweak Your Representatives On Patents More

Europeans, Tweak Your Representatives On Patents

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  • Scary web design (Score:4, Funny)

    by Sanity ( 1431 ) * on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @03:20AM (#9312722) Homepage Journal
    FFII may or may not be successful in protecting the EU from software patents (I hope they are), but at least they stand a good chance of winning the "Least Tasteful (mis)use of Stylesheets" award for their website ;-)

    (Seriously - their website looks like a brain haemorrhage, can a web designer who cares about software patents and has some spare time help them out here?!)

    • Re:Scary web design (Score:5, Informative)

      by Darkman, Walkin Dude ( 707389 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @05:58AM (#9313093) Homepage

      Well I would be glad to help them out of their spot, free gratis (own a successful web design company), if they would respond to any of the efforts I have made to contact them!

      I noticed that there was no Irish branch of the FFII on the last slashdot story about this issue (maybe thats changed since, I don't know), so I also tried to reach them regarding setting up a local branch over here.

      No response whatsoever. I couldn't even get through on the phone lines! I don't know what sort of an operation they are running, but so far I have to say I am less than impressed. If they think they can divert the beaurocratic juggernaut that is the EU with anything less than cohesive organisation and directed efforts, they are sadly mistaken.

      Beh, like most things, I'll just have to go ahead and do it myself...

  • go after central government (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Ckwop ( 707653 ) * on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @03:24AM (#9312732) Homepage
    I think lobbying the MEP's isn't enough.. we have to lobby the central governments of member states.. We don't want some soft-ass patent system like the States.

    Simon.

  • The language... (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @03:24AM (#9312733)
    ...is too difficult to understand. The average person would not be able to understand those questionnaires.

    If they want as many valid candidates to fill out the questionnairs as possible, then they should direct it at the people, with sensible people language.

    • And when were there ever a politican that understood people language?
      If you're gonna reach them, you need to speak jibberish.

    • Re:The language... (Score:5, Interesting)

      by mccalli ( 323026 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @03:34AM (#9312761) Homepage
      ..is too difficult to understand. The average person would not be able to understand those questionnaires.

      In addition it comes over as hostile by default. It could be altered to adaopt a more conversational tone quite easily.

      For example, "Will you vote to reject....yes/abstain/cancel" could become "What position will you take on....accept/abstain/reject". You've now given the person a chance to answer without feeling you've pointed a gun at their head.

      Cheers,
      Ian

      • I thought the questionaire was a very good idea. It is an interesting approach because it's not so simple to pawn it off on some low level campaign worker and its not as easy to throw away and ignore as a simple statement in favor of a position.
        Unfortunately, it was slashdotted by the time I went to look at it so I didn't see all the language.
        But I think there is some logic to the straightforward language. If you phrase it directly it might seem less friendly, but it is also less likely that th

    • Re:The language... (Score:5, Funny)

      by 16K Ram Pack ( 690082 ) <tim DOT almond AT gmail DOT com> on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @03:43AM (#9312788) Homepage
      Sorry, but I can (in conjunction with the explanatory notes) understand those documents.

      Are you suggesting the average politician isn't as bright as the average...

      Oh... wait.

    • So you would elect just an 'average person' to represent you in all things that have to do with europe.

      Personally I'm going to vote for an Idiot so I can just ignore them.

  • UK MEP voting records. (Score:5, Informative)

    by Moderation abuser ( 184013 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @03:29AM (#9312747)
    Just a reminder to people that you can't believe a word that a politician says.

    Actions speak louder than words and you can find out here how they voted:

    http://www.ffii.org.uk/uk_meps.html

    It would be nice to see something similar for the other countries.

    • In summary...

      Greens

      UKIP seem to be best

      Lib Dems Next

      Tories Next

      Labour Last

      It's worth examining the "green" votes for what was being voted on, and not just adding them up. 71 1E is a nothing. Something about "monitoring impact". Big fucking deal.

      The biggies are 34/115 and 74 IMO.

      • Re:UK MEP voting records. (Score:4, Insightful)

        by stephenbooth ( 172227 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @04:17AM (#9312866) Homepage Journal

        Unfortunately UKIP seems to have strong links to the British National Party (i.e. National Front with more expensive suits). Not the sort of people I want to vote for. Some people have suggested the RESPECT Coalition. Unfortunately that coalition has strong links to parties like the Justice For Kashmir party (now calling themselves People's Justice Party) who are a Pro-Islamic Pro-Pakistani Anti-Everyone else party who's core policies (their rasion d'etre infact) are based around separating Kashmir from India and giving it to Pakistan. Again, not people I want to vote for.

        I think I'll be voting Labour again ont he grounds that that they've got the best chance of keeping the JFK out in my area.

        Stephen

        • So why not vote Green? Remember that in the European elections (but not the local ones) they use PR, so you can vote for whoever you like without worrying about your vote not counting.

      • Re:UK MEP voting records. (Score:4, Informative)

        by pubjames ( 468013 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @05:18AM (#9312996)
        UKIP seem to be best

        Please do not vote for the UKIP because of this issue. They are racists.
        • Unfortunately, I think you may be right.
          Many people such as myself may be tempted to vote for UKIP due to their tough stance on Europe... but it seems that it is just impossible for a party to have such strong 'nationalistic' opinions without picking up some racist element.

          The UKIP previously made every effort to separate themselves from racism accusations. What the hell are they thinking parading Kilroy-Silk about the place right after he lost his TV job over racist remarks...
          • The UKIP previously made every effort to separate themselves from racism accusations.

            Because they thought they would get more votes if people didn't associate them with racism. But they are racists.

    • Re:UK MEP voting records. (Score:5, Informative)

      by Raphael ( 18701 ) * on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @03:58AM (#9312826) Homepage Journal
      It would be nice to see something similar for the other countries.

      There is a link to a list of other countries [ffii.org.uk] on the page that you linked to. It doesn't have a detailled commentary and analysis, but this is good enough to have an overview of who voted against patents.

      If you are living in Europe, take a look at the chart for your country and see who you should vote for. Personally, I am glad that the MEPs that I voted for in the previous election have clearly voted in favor of the FFII and against patents (i.e., they got a high score in the chart). I will vote for them again in a few days.

    • I looked up current UK MEP email addresses in UpYourStreet [upyourstreet.co.uk]. (That also confirms your electoral region, useful if you are near a boundary.)

      Compare with the candidate list [eu.int]candidate list and you have the people with a strong interest in re-election.

      I sent all in my region an email asking their opinions, cc: to party email addresses from the paper handouts. So far three replies, all broadly supportive of not allowing software patents.

    • It would be nice to see something similar for the other countries.

      The site you link to has very detailed breakdowns for the other European countries.

      It would be nice to have a mostly green chart for the UK, like France and Germany have!
    • Absolutely true.
      Hungary - as a newcomer to the EU - had no MEPs at the time of the vote, but we had the chance to vote in the European Council.
      The official stand was that "we don't need no stinkin' SW patents" (as it was expressly stated by an undersecretary in our Parliament) and it seemed very likely that we would vote against the Irish proposal.
      Yet we have voted "yes" and - to confuse things even more - the Minister of Informatics and Telecommunications made a press release about the victory over SW pate

      • Don't contribute to malice what can be explained by stupidity.

        The Dutch Minister of Economic affairs has voted pro-patents as well, despite both the Dutch Parliament (including his own party, D66!) and the majority of the Dutch MEPs not agreeing. The patent lobby at his Department must have convinced him he was voting for something that was a real compromise between pro- and opponents.

        Anyhow-- if you happen to be a Dutchman representing a company (MKB) please undersign the communiqé at: http:// [wiki.ael.be]

    • Just a reminder to people that you can't believe a word that a politician says.

      Sadly, a lot (the majority) of people still believe that the concepts typically taught in Politics 101 actually operate that way in the "democratic west". That's so naive that it's not even funny. The article linked a pretty good summary of the subversion of the democratic process [ffii.org] that should dispell any childish misconceptions about that.

      The only means we have of changing the course of history is through voting (I exclude

  • I've said it before... (Score:3, Insightful)

    by rsilvergun ( 571051 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @03:29AM (#9312749)
    and I'll say it again: You haven't got a chance. Why? Because at the end of the day/week/month/whatever the anti patent lobbiests are going to go home and then go back to their day jobs. The Pro patent lobbiests are going to do the same, only their job is to lobby for patents all day. There's just too much money for these greedy bastards to leave on the table. Free software looks good, but it doesn't get money flowing in an economy. Without money flowing, you've got no tax dollars, and you've got fewer people doing less work (which is a good thing BTW, for all but the wealthy bastards that manipulate the poor to satisfy their staggering greed). The trick to economy (and society) is to get people to work really really hard for you so you can live like a God among men. Patents are just one step along in the process.

    Not trolling, I'm just a pessimist (and a lazy speller).

    • You are worse than the patent lobbiests (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Sanity ( 1431 ) * on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @03:44AM (#9312791) Homepage Journal
      You haven't got a chance.
      Its pessimistic cynics like you that are the real enemy, not the lobbiests - at least they are honest about which side they are on, but you hurt the side you claim to support.

      The only way to guarantee failure here is not to try in the first place, yet that is exactly what your brand of pessimism encourages.

      If we win this it will be no thanks to people like you.

      • Re:You are worse than the patent lobbiests (Score:4, Insightful)

        by oob ( 131174 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @05:57AM (#9313090)
        Its pessimistic cynics like you...

        "Pessimist" is a term that optimists use to describe realists.

        I agree with the grandparent post, there is no point lobbying on this issue because it isn't goint to change the outcome. No amount of lobbying or votes will outweigh the corporate interest. We could have a million people demonstrating in each of London, Paris, Madrid, Rome and Berlin and it wouldn't alter public policy - oh and the headlines would read "Dozens arrested at Hippie love parade for drug offences and property damage."

        But hey, knock yourself out and lobby anyway, safe in the illusion that a ballot makes you a part of the political process.

        Personally, I think politicans will only become representative when each member of the electorate is holding something a little more attention grabbing than a ballot slip in their hands.

        • "Pessimist" is a term that optimists use to describe realists.

          And "realists" is a term that weasels often use to hide the fact they are so scared of losing they don't even dare to try anything. So what?

          I agree with the grandparent post, there is no point lobbying on this issue because it isn't goint to change the outcome. No amount of lobbying or votes will outweigh the corporate interest.

          You are misguided in thinking that this is "the people" vs "the corporations". At large, this is "the people

    • Re:I've said it before... (Score:5, Insightful)

      by 16K Ram Pack ( 690082 ) <tim DOT almond AT gmail DOT com> on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @04:07AM (#9312847) Homepage
      This has been said time and again (Bush said it over Kyoto). "If path x is followed, it will damage our economy".

      It won't. It will just move things around. Software automation didn't wipe out millions of jobs. It created new ones.

      Free software will just end up with another bunch of jobs (it may actually create more jobs due to some decentralisation), but maybe consumers will get more bang for their buck.

      If people don't spend money on software, they'll spend it on something else. Maybe some guy will go and buy some more beers because he doesn't have to pay for some software. Who knows.

      It's all consumer led. If people perceive some piece of free software as cheaper or better, they will switch. All lobbyists can do is to delay what is natural and inevitable.

    • Lemme guess, you're Danish? (Score:5, Insightful)

      by ArsenneLupin ( 766289 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @04:11AM (#9312856)
      As Bert Brecht said:

      Wer kämpft, kann verlieren. Wer nicht kämpft, hat schon verloren.

      (He who fights may lose. He who does not fight has already lost)

      They may have more money, and more time, but on June 13th, it's us who'll be calling the shots. So don't give up too quickly!

    • But anti-patent lobbyists are not necessary Open Source code writers. Think about a small software business, who will be selling its products, and which will therefore contribute to generating cash flows. Do you really think that this small business selling its product will not be infringing hundreds of patents already filled-in by the big corporations?

      And should that small business come up with a really nice idea that could deserve a patent, chances are that this patent will not be enforcible against bi

  • This weeks Slashdot challenge... (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @03:34AM (#9312764)
    The only way to influence politicians is to get column inches and air time. The only sure way to do that is to do something dramatic (a la fuel protests, anti-war protests, anything that mildly annoys the French, etc.)

    So, here's the Slashdot challenge: Come up with and implement a scheme to draw the media's attention to this issue. The winner is the first to make it to the BBC evening news...

  • For the Dutch people (Score:5, Informative)

    by PhuckH34D ( 743521 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @03:35AM (#9312767) Homepage
    BOF [www.bof.nl] (Bits Of Freedom) has an document online [www.bof.nl] [dutch] where they examined what our politicians voted on several "computer/internet related" laws, including software patents. (English version of BOF is here [www.bof.nl], but I couldn't find an english version of this document)

  • Waste of time (Score:3, Interesting)

    by fr0dicus ( 641320 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @03:36AM (#9312769) Journal
    I wrote a letter to my MP and MEP and all I basically got back was a nice parliamentary compliment slip and a letter with the lowest signal to noise ratio ever. They're all toeing the party line.

    • Re:Waste of time (Score:2, Insightful)

      by 91degrees ( 207121 )
      It's not a total waste. If a lot of MPs get a lot of letters saying "we think this is a bad idea", then they'll generally reconsider their position.

      • Re:Waste of time (Score:3, Insightful)

        by fr0dicus ( 641320 )
        They listen to large donations from influential corporate entities much more.

        It's not as if any of the other parties have a different policy, so it's not like you can threaten them with voting for the other guy either.

        Not enough people care, so time is probably better spent preparing for when they do come in.

    • That is the whole point of the elections in June. If they're not answering to you, vote to replace them.

      • Waste of time, they all have the same policy. In fact, it's a retrograde step because they wouldn't be aware of the existing lobbying.

        • No, they don't (Score:5, Informative)

          by Moderation abuser ( 184013 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @04:04AM (#9312839)
          Don't talk bollocks. Not all of the parties have the same policies. You can quite clearly see from the following table which parties vote which way...

          http://www.ffii.org.uk/votes/swpat/country/UK.ht ml

          So not only do you vote for one of their opposition, you tell your current MEPs how you are going to vote and why...

          The thing about the european parliament is that it is a proportional representation system which means that your vote *DOES* count. If you vote for a Green, it increases the numbers of Greens in the parliament.

    • Re:Waste of time (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Sanity ( 1431 ) * on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @03:48AM (#9312803) Homepage Journal
      I wrote a letter to my MP and MEP and all I basically got back was a nice parliamentary compliment slip and a letter with the lowest signal to noise ratio ever. They're all toeing the party line.
      So thats when you gave up - eh? Sucker.

      You have to challenge them to think about this, if they reply to you with the party line, phone them up, explain that you are familiar with the party position but that it is wrong - and politely ask for the opportunity to explain why.

      I contacted my MEP, Avril Doyle (Ireland), and while she was previously unfamiliar with the issue, she actually became a strong opponent of software patents based on my and other's conversations with her.

      Don't give up - if your political representatives don't listen, make them listen.

    • So did I, and the only MEP who sent me a personal letter instead of a form letter was Dr Caroline Lucas of the Greens (who are very anti software patents). I'll be voting Green (for the European elections anyway), despite my dislike of their anti-Euro stance.
      • despite my dislike of their anti-Euro stance.
        Could you back up this claim? As far as I know, the European Greens are among the strongest supporters of European cooperation. They've even surrected the first European party [eurogreens.org]!
    • Alan Cox has also written a open letter in which he points out that those European elections are an opportunity for each citizen to have the choice and to make the politicians listen

      Yeah right, as if us Euro's have anything to say at all about euro-politics. They never asked us if we wanted to join anyway. We have never voted for most EU positions. The oldest democracy in the world, yeah right.
    • Doing better than me. Three weeks ago I wrote to the five parties contesting the MEP seats in my region asking their policies on software patents and making it clear that it would probably be the issue determining how I vote. So far have received one reply, from UKIP.

  • Where are all the teeth? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Moderation abuser ( 184013 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @03:39AM (#9312779)
    It might also be worth bending your MEP's ear on what the point of the parliament is if the council of ministers can simply retract bills which have been ammended and then resubmit them with all of the ammendments removed. They may be more likely to apply what little power they do have.

  • Info for Sweden (Score:5, Informative)

    by tero ( 39203 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @03:39AM (#9312780)
    Here's what some of the Swedish candidates had to say about software patents http://mnemo.nu/publicerat/2004/may/candidates.php [mnemo.nu]. FFII Sweden [www.ffii.se] also put together information brochure [chalmers.se], which is perfect to print out and leave in strategic places around the office (coffee tables, lunch room etc.)

  • For all the Finns (Score:5, Informative)

    by Weird O'Puns ( 749505 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @03:41AM (#9312785)

    Electronic Frontier Finland ry [effi.org] has already send a questionnaire about software patents, spam, copyright etc. to the Finnish candidates. They have set up a page [effi.org] where you can compare your oppinions with those of the ones who answered.

    • Re:For all the Finns (Score:2, Informative)

      by Talvi ( 728682 )

      There's also another, independently conducted survey published on Linux-Aktivaattori [linux-aktivaattori.org] about the Finnish candidates' general IT skills/knowledge, opinions on software patents, OSS, etc.

      Currently, the rate of response is a measly 15.4% but the page is being updated until the election day as the answers come in.

  • The elections are on the 10 of june, in little more than a week. I'd be very surprised to get a response before that time even if I rush off to the mailbox right now with this questionaire, and I can't really blame them.

    • So email them (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Sanity ( 1431 ) * on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @03:51AM (#9312811) Homepage Journal
      I have found most MEPs to be quite responsive to email these days.
    • 10th of June? Last time I check my Document of Doom (you know, that little card you get to remind you that voting is mandatory and they know who you are and where you live?) those electrions are sunday 13th of june. Then again I happen to live in Flanders, so it might differ in other parts of the European Reigh.
      I really hate it when they ruin a perfectly good sunday morning.
      • The Netherlands is voting on June 10th. Why? Because some Christian fractions thought it to be indecent to vote on a Sunday.

        Now, we have a problem with the EC, that says we have to keep the results secret until June 13th, and our govt. says that we won't have an official result until that date, but the results per city may be published. This makes it very easy to calculate the semi-official countrywide result...

  • It pays off (Score:5, Interesting)

    by andr0meda ( 167375 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @03:45AM (#9312794) Journal

    I've written my national and regional MP of the department of Work and Economy, and she promissed me to make sure belgium would not vote yes to the proposal of the current Irish presidency. Belgium (my country) subsequently abstained from the vote, along with a few others. Germany, which was expected to at least abstain, and that had said it would vote no, in the end voted yes, which makes blocking the proposal a whole lot more difficult (but not impossible). I won't pretend my writing made the difference, but I would say that yes, it does pay off to make some noise.

    The big problem here is that lawyers and rulemakers can be bought, and that the FFII does not represent the kapitalist industry that can apparently leverage any vote it wants, 'xcept for a few small stubborn but harmless ones.

    So, open your eyes, ladies and gentlemen, because King Kapitalism, in this case, is ~BAD~. I'm not a commie nor a leftie, but I just wanted to say this loud and clear, so that some people at least for once get the message. And no, I'm not an Anti-globalist, but I very much *AM* a Different-globalist, who wants to bring the power back to the ones who need it (us, the people, in case you were wondering)

    Write your MP today, and get your friends to write as well. It's not so difficult to write a well founded email, and at least they will be aware that some groups in society WILL have a problem and at least HAVE warned the EU of the consequences. It will make their case less convincing, and they will never be able to say "uh, we didn't know". Write today. Peace out.

  • Well (Score:2, Insightful)

    by binkzz ( 779594 )
    I'm sending my copy in. It might not make a difference, but I'd rather try and fail instead of bending over and taking it.

  • MEPs of NL (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Flyboy Connor ( 741764 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @04:00AM (#9312829)
    Last September, before the meeting of the European Parliament on the proposal, I wrote a letter to all MEPs of The Netherlands on this issue. I got two responses.

    The first was from a right-wing MEP that stated that I shouldn't get worked up over this, that it wasn't all as bad as it sounded, and that I should trust them to do the right thing (fat chance).

    The second was from a MEP of the democratic party (D'66) who did give the response I had hoped for ("software patents bad, open source good"), who I found indeed voted against software patents, and who later got back to me providing the amended text of the proposal, and the further statement that they would keep on fighting the European Commission if it would reject the amendments (which it did).

    So you can guess where my vote is going.

    • The SP (Socialist Party) is adamently against software patents, GroenLinks (Green Left) replied with vaguery, but they'll basically play ball with slight amendments which they won't elaborate on in any way, the PvdA (social democrats) haven't answered at all. So, for us Dutch people, don't expect too much from the left (except of course the SP, but then, in the EP they're allied with parties that actually call themselves Communist).

    • Re:MEPs of NL (Score:3, Informative)

      by JaredOfEuropa ( 526365 )

      So you can guess where my vote is going.

      Yup, I have changed my mind and will vote for a D66 candidate rather than a VVD one (the right wing). I wrote the VVD MEP who is on the relevant committee earlier, and got a response much to the effect of "We know what we are doing; you can rest easy and go back to sleep".

      The Dutch will recognise the famous quote of one of our former prime ministers ("U kunt rustig weer gaan slapen"), which exemplifies the problem I have with these politicians: the last thing th

  • The public (even in Europe, where in theory the average schmuck on the streets isn't as apathetic/uncultured as Joe Sixpack here in the US) will just see this as a bunch of lunatic computer geeks rambling on about some meaningless computer-industry "thing", and will let it go in one ear and out the other.

    I'm really thinking that it's impossible to fight the tide in Europe, the US, and Australia. (Southeast Asia's next.) It might very well be that the only way to live in a country that doesn't have a repr
    • It might very well be that the only way to live in a country that doesn't have a repressive "intellectual property" institution designed around the needs of barristers would be to start a geeks-only nation and outlaw lawyers and lawyer-like behaviour via Constitutional edict...

      It may not be a country but the internet paired with open source is pretty much as close as you'll ever get to a "geeks-only" nation.
    • start a geeks-only nation

      China shines. They have been geeks almost ever [crystalinks.com] since. Though admittedly difficult to grasp for a "us/eu-pseudo-(first world-muhaha)-civilized" (myself included) mind.

      The rest of the world ? WTF.

      CC.

  • Don't vote UKIP! (Score:3, Informative)

    by dizzyduck ( 659517 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @04:12AM (#9312860) Homepage
    Robert Kilroy-Silk is one of their candidates. I think that says it all.

    Vote Green!
    • Rober Kilroy-Silk is only one of them. You might also mention that they are neo-fascist racists and xenophobes.

    • Re:Don't vote UKIP! (Score:3, Interesting)

      by Quaryon ( 93318 )
      Definitely don't vote UKIP - looks like a finely glossed-over bigoted BNP to me.

      I voted Green last time (as much as protest vote as anything else) and my region (South-East UK) did get one of the two green MEPs, but the Green campaign leaflet has some nasty anti-science stuff in it and they are opposed to the Euro.. so I'm a bit wary of voting for them this time.

      I have voted in every election I've been able to, and this year for the first time I really have no clue who to vote for. All the parties have p
      • I voted Green last time (as much as protest vote as anything else) and my region (South-East UK) did get one of the two green MEPs, but the Green campaign leaflet has some nasty anti-science stuff in it and they are opposed to the Euro.. so I'm a bit wary of voting for them this time.

        Don't worry about the Euro issue. The euro exists and is not going away no matter how many Greens join the parliament. Too much is committed to it now - and whether or not Britain joins will be decided by a referendum when Go

        • The Euro aside, the anti-science stuff is something I have a hard time swallowing. I'm fed up of our increasing hatred of anything designated "scientific", despite the fact that the modern world would not exist without technology. The Green policy leaflet is essentially saying "science is bad, back to nature" (not in as many words, but between the lines) and I hate that with a vengeance. It's just stupid and ill-informed.

          As with all things the truth is somewhere in the middle - science brings us benefits b

    • Re:Don't vote UKIP! (Score:3, Interesting)

      by pubjames ( 468013 )
      Robert Kilroy-Silk is one of their candidates. I think that says it all.

      Not to me it doesn't. You need to add:

      * Racists
      * Small minded
      * Little Englanders
      * Living in the past

    • Appalling though the UKIP are, there's one thing they have in their favour. They voted against software patents. On this list [beauprez.net] of UK MEPs, Booth, Farage and Titford are the UKIP representatives.

      Of course, the UKIP crew vote against pretty much everything. Oh, and they're a bunch of racist scum.

      • Of course, the UKIP crew vote against pretty much everything.
        Moreover, to quote an e-mail from one of the candidates in my region,
        BUT, our mood is growing that we might just vote against everything! Modestly abstaining might not be sufficient!

  • Sweden (Score:4, Informative)

    by Daniel Vallstrom ( 649271 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @04:14AM (#9312863)
    Here [www.ffii.se] is a link with some info on how the parties and some candidates stand on the issue.

    Roughly, the two largest parties, the social democrats (socialdemokraterna) and the right wing party (moderaterna), are in favor of software patents while the rest, the liberals (folkpartiet), the leftmost party (vaensterpartiet), the greens (miljoepartiet),... are against.

    (I'm voting for Olle Schmidt of the liberal party but I'm not affiliated with anything above.)

  • ELDR - Belgium (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward
    I e-mailed MEP Sterckx of the right-wing ELDR group, asked to look into the issue, pointed to the FFII info, and told that, as the head of R&D of a small software company, I felt that the FFII best represented the interests of the Belgian software industry.

    I got a nice answer back, and a follow-up pointing to the amendments his group proposed. It was clear that they have studied the matter thoroughly. Belgium abstained (= did not vote for acceptance) in the Council.

    Sterckx will get my vote in the upco

    • Re:ELDR - Belgium (Score:3, Interesting)

      by Halo1 ( 136547 )
      Sterckx is indeed a strong supported in the fight against software patents. For Flanders, it's hard to vote "wrong" though. Only the Christian-democrats voted in favour of software patents, along with some extreme right wing liberals (Beysen and De Clercq, neither of which is up for re-election afaik). We've received strong support from Sterckx (and his position was supported by Van Hecke), all Flemish socialists and the Greens.

      As far as Walonia is concerned, there you also have the Greens as supporters,

  • Please remember to use your own language! (Score:3, Interesting)

    by mijok ( 603178 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @04:43AM (#9312911)
    I noticed that the questionnaire isn't available in all languages spoken in the EU (yet) - if you intend to use it, please do translate it into your language because that makes it appear much more important to your MEP.

  • I admire the effort, but these are badly formed and "loaded" questions, exactly the kind that politicians prefer to avoid, thus the FFII is not making it easy for politicians to give fair answers (I've dealt with MP's and MEP's, and to be honest, mine have been pretty decent - I can't speak for others: they _like_ to see that constituents are actively interested in issues and actively using them to work those issues - what they _don't_ like are shifty attempts to work them over).

    For example, the following

    • "Are you aware that the directive seeks to make it allowable to claim programs on a carrier?" "Do you know that in doing this, it restricts the ability of the open software movement?"

      This has nothing to do with open (source) software in particular. The direct consequences of this are

      • If someone puts a developed program on a website (open or closed source), the Internet provider hosting that program can be sued for "contributory infringement" (because he helps spreading the "computer program on a carri

  • UK list of candidates (Score:4, Informative)

    by tplayford ( 308405 ) <(moc.ylati-lias) (ta) (mot)> on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @05:38AM (#9313049)
    The BBC produce a nice list of all candidates by area:
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3708131.stm [bbc.co.uk]
  • Just remember theres a June 8th deadline by which time you must have sent your 'donations' and made your policy requests. This will ensure that the correct policy will be considered in time for the election. Might I suggest that slashdot users all go for one candidate and send around $2000 each? Remember cash is prefered and it should be in a brown envelope without the name of the candidate or the amount written on it. I think the European system of doing these things differs quite allot from the American b

  • Lib Dems? (Score:4, Informative)

    by BenjyD ( 316700 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @06:18AM (#9313157)

    In the UK at least, the Liberal Democrats seem to have some idea at least about copyright and patents as they relate to software. This paper [libdems.org.uk] mentions software patents as a bad thing, states that allowing only copyright protection on code rather than patents encourage competition in the software market place, along with a bunch of other generally sensible ideas.

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