Orgs, Pundits React to EC Patent Decision

NoSoftwarePatents: EU Council Sends a Mockery of a Common Position to the European Parliament for a Second Reading

"Florian Mueller, who manages the pan-European NoSoftwarePatents.com campaign, was in the Council building today to follow the discussion. In his immediate reaction, he said that 'we as the opponents of software patents don't have to talk too much now about the democratic illegitimacy of this proposal because it's so obvious. Even the chairman of today's meeting conceded it...'"

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FFII.org: Council Presidency Adopts Software Patent Agreement Against Council's Rules

• "Luxembourg negated the Council's own Rules of Procedure, which state that a B-item (which is at the same time a request to remove an A item) can only be rejected by the a majority of the Council, and not just by the Presidency. (art 3.8)
• "The objecting countries seem to have forgotten to request removal of the A-item from the agenda. Rules 3.1 + 3.7 would have given any single country the right to have the A-item removed, because the Luxemburg presidency had failed to insert it more than 14 days earlier. This is how Poland has removed A-items from the Agricultural & Fishery Council twice in the past...'"

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The Inquirer: European Democracy Bogus, Says Open Source Consortium

"Mark Taylor, executive director of the Consortium, said: 'The fact that an unelected body can ride rough shod over the near unanimous wishes of an elected parliament demonstrates that any pretensions the EU has to being democratic are just that--pretensions. To many this smacks of institutionalised deference to vested interest and intrigue, some of which originate outside the EU...'"

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ZDNet UK: Software Patents Make a Mockery of European Ideals

"Whole countries opposed it, its proponents couldn't explain it, and its own parliament called for it to be completely reconsidered. Twice. Therefore, the European Council decided to approve it. Barring an exceptional parliamentary earthquake, the Computer Implemented Inventions Directive will be rubber-stamped by the European Parliament and will in time become law across the Union. It seems Bill Gates got more than a regal tap on the shoulder when he was visiting last week: if these are the punishments for heading a company convicted in Europe and America for anti-trade monopoly abuse, let us hope he is never rewarded...'"

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Related Stories:

• AP/Boston Herald: EU Governments OK Software Patent Bill(Mar 07, 2005)
• NoSoftwarePatents: Denmark and Poland Will Deal the Death Blow To the Council's Current Proposal(Mar 04, 2005)
• Reuters: EU Sees Approval of Contested Software Patent Bill(Mar 04, 2005)
• NoSoftwarePatents: EC Acted in Collusion with Microsoft, Says High-Profile Austrian MEP(Mar 03, 2005)