EU parliament rejects software patents proposal

[odin]

The European Parliament today decided by a large majority to reject the software patents directive. This rejection was the logical answer to the Commission's refusal to restart the legislative process in February and the Council's unwillingness to engage in any kind of dialogue with the Parliament.

More info here

[Magic-Merl]

Sense prevails....for now.

[ottomobiehl]

Seems like there are some politicians with common sense.  Lets hope it lasts.

[Magic-Merl]

No.  It won't last.  It will go the rounds within the EU for many more years until finally it will happen.

The longer that is the better.  I for one do not want to see idea's chastised by a rediculous excuse for a governing body which is the EU.

Hopefully the farse that is the EU will vanish and stop soaking up the billions of GBP any day soon.

[Hefsgaard]

Such optimism!

Could we please keep our political agendas away from here?

Some like the EU, some Don't like it. Others want to change it in one direction and others yet in a diffrent. Many don't even know or care what EU is, and very few of us understands EU at all.
All of it has little to do with Amiga or even computers at all.

[bhoggett]

Ironically the UK would probably be well and truly under US software patent law by now if it hadn't been part of the EU.

But, you are right: we haven't heard the last of software patents yet. The reason this particular proposal failed is because the modifications to the original bill were not sufficient to convince the opponents that patent system abuse would be curbed, while at the same time the modifications went too far for the supporters of the original bill to accept. Microsoft, Nokia, Philips et al don't want a strict patent system that cannot be used to kill off competition, so their puppet MEPs were also instructed to reject the modified bill.

The original bill will be resubmitted in a year or two, never fear...

[odin]

That is my expectation too. IIRC this was the second or third attempt to get these regulations in place?

[ottomobiehl]

Such optimism!

Could we please keep our political agendas away from here?

Some like the EU, some Don't like it. Others want to change it in one direction and others yet in a diffrent. Many don't even know or care what EU is, and very few of us understands EU at all.
All of it has little to do with Amiga or even computers at all.

Not to be argumentive but this has everything to do with Amiga or computers.  For a good read about why patents are bad for software go here.

If you refer to the political discussion about the pros and cons of the EU then you may be right.  But there are a lot of people from all around the world here and their politics help define them as it is part of their environment.  By that nature alone the subject of politics and personal views will leak into these posts.  Nothing to do but sit back and enjoy it, IMHO. :-)

[Magic-Merl]

These are not political statements as such.  They are a reflection of the EU and it's insatiable desire to curb idea's and creativity.

Long term this will go through.  I personally feel this will ruin my computing experiences.  Simple things such as playing certain types of media through Linux will be made illegal! where is the logic/sense in that?

And the EU.  A bunch of men making stupid decisions around rediculous agenda's.

Remember the debate on the bend in banana's?

This is a forum.  If the subject arises then we can discuss almost anything. [almost]