Re: EPO/McCarthy logic

[PILCH Hartmut <phm@a2e.de>]

The logic (or lack thereof) in McCarthy's new proposal is now to some
degree analyzed at

        http://swpat.ffii.org/papers/eubsa-swpat0202/amccarthy0302/

If you would like to comment further sections of the paper (or
inconsistencies between such sections) as done here, please prepare a
plain text and send it to patents at aful org or to me.

You can also find some new stuff at

        http://swpat.ffii.org/players/amccarthy/
        http://swpat.ffii.org/players/ericsson/
        http://swpat.ffii.org/players/nokia/
        http://swpat.ffii.org/players/thomson/
        http://swpat.ffii.org/players/thales/
        http://swpat.ffii.org/players/airliquide/

and of course more information is always appreciated, although at the
moment McCarthy's attempts at pushing software patents through the
European Parliament is probably worth more attention than all the
funny details of these companies whose patent lawyers are, together
with the EPO, giving McCarthy and other MEPs the input for their
papers.

It is up to you whether McCarthy will be successful.  Fellow MEPs will
not see McCarthy's unlogic as clearly as you are seeing it.  They may
also feel obliged to be polite and find it difficult to contradict on
such arcane matters. They may also believe that opposition is
unimportant, because it only comes from some idealist fringe groups or
is based on abstract scenarios and conspiracy theories rather than
real concerns.

You can change the situation.  

You have the choice: spend time talking to your MEP now or spend time
laboring with patent attacks and monopoly software later.

You can find your MEP via

        http://www.europarl.eu.int/
        http://wwwdb.europarl.eu.int/ep5/owa/p_meps.entry?ilg=EN

Via tel

        0032-2-284-0  (Brussels)
        0033-388-17-0 (Strasburg session week once per month)

you can normally get through to your MEP's office and then later 
address a letter to his assistant.

Please spread this call.

-- 
Hartmut Pilch, FFII & Eurolinux Alliance              tel. +49-89-12789608   
Protecting Innovation against Patent Inflation       http://swpat.ffii.org/
135,000 signatures against software patents      http://www.noepatents.org/