Dear Noepatents Supporter,
The EU Commission launched, two months ago, a consultation procedure
for a "final effort" to introduce EU-wide patents. There is a high
risk that this process will legitimise software patents, and make it
easier and cheaper to use them in court. We believe this would be
very bad for the EU IT sector and all businesses that depend on it.
In our experience, software patents lead to more lawsuits, not more
software.
The FFII has been working on analysing the consultation procedure, and
writing good answers to the Commission's questions. Last week we also
met the Commission's Erik Nooteboom, who is in charge of the
consultation, and we expressed our concerns. We believe that the plan
to create a wider patent system is counter-productive without moves to
ban once and for all patents on ideas, methods, and algorithms, the
basics of software and the IT industry.
Our analysis is online at:
http://consultation.ffii.org/.
If you have time, read the whole analysis. If you are in a hurry, we
have prepared some example answers. You can also take key points and
answer these in your own words.
It is explained in detail on
http://consultation.ffii.org/How_to_Answer.
As president of the FFII, the association that has been fighting for
six long years to protect your right to do business, by keeping
patents out of the software industry, I ask you to make three concrete
actions:
* First, answer the consultation, in your own words, in email or on paper.
* Second, make a substantial donation to the FFII so that we can
continue to defend your rights.
* Lastly, forward this email to other people which produce or use
software so they can also answer.
The question of software patents affects us all, and we must seize
this opportunity to influence the future laws. It is not often that
we can make a difference, but this is one of those few times.
The FFII will be monitoring the consultation process and holding open
a dialogue with the Commission to represent you. If you have
questions, please send them to
consultation@ffii.org. For other support,
please contact Mr Henrion <bhenrion@ffii.org> +32-2-4148403.
With best regards,
--
Pieter Hintjens
President, FFII e.V. <pieterh@ffii.org>
http://www.ffii.org 
