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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