Re: [webmaster] online demonstration against EU Software Patents

On Sunday 11 April 2004 17:05, Marc G. Fournier wrote:
> On Sun, 11 Apr 2004, Robert Treat wrote:
> > On Saturday 10 April 2004 15:20, Dave Page wrote:
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: Justin Clift [mailto:justin(at)postgresql(dot)org]
> > > >
> > > > Hi Dave,
> > > >
> > > > Would it be ok for us to do something more prominent?
> > > > Preferably copy-n-paste the KDE page's warning to the top of
> > > > the PG homepage, just above the News and Events.
> > > >
> > > > Ensuring patent coverage isn't widened is in the direct
> > > > interests of PostgreSQL.
> > >
> > > Hi Justin,
> > >
> > > Agreed - what do the rest of the web group think; anyone got any better
> > > wording? Any objections?
> >
> > Honestly? I'd be hesitant to put the project into the middle of any
> > political discussion. Someone thinking about using postgresql for
> > business might see the banners and decide they dont want to be involved
> > with us at all...
> >
> > I'd probably debate it further if I was actually for software patents...
>
> Just curious here, but aren't software patents already an issue in the US?
> I know I've been seeing several going around, or, at least, I believe I
> have ... if so, how does this extenting to the EU make any difference?
>
> Myself, I agree with Robert here about being in the middle of things, but
> only if I'm correct in that this is already a problem in the US that isn't
> going to make anything worse/better by the EU having/not having it ...
>

I think the deal is that those in Europe aren't currently subject to software
patent litigation even if it violates US law. Further, some of the
interpretations of the laws being proposed in Europe are fairly draconian,
and could put more cautious open source distributors "out of business" so to
speak. check out http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/index-en.html for some
informational links.

Robert Treat
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