[Openstandaarden] Demonstration against swpat on 2 June, Brussels, help needed

[Henrion Benjamin]

Mark Van den Borre <mark at markvdb.be> [050517]:
> Op ma, 16-05-2005 te 15:41 +0200, schreef Henrion Benjamin:
> > Hi,
> > 
> > I would like to know if Openstandaarden could help (basically
> > translating and co-drafting the press release for announcing the
> > demonstration in Brussels on 2nd June).
> > 
> > I'm drafting a PR in English and French.
> Send it to me, and I'll translate.
> 
> > I need one guy from your organisation to include in the quotes.
> I would volunteer if that's ok for everybody.

======================================================================

     Software Patents: The Trojan Horse is Inside the Parliament

======================================================================

Brussels, 18th May 05

The coming vote of the European Parliament will be decisive to get or
not software patents in Europe. Members of the European Parliament are
currently visited everyday by an army of big industry lobbyists in order
to convince them that patents are a good thing for small enterprises and
independant authors of software.

AEL and Openstandaarden invites everybody who is concerned by the
directive to raise their voices, or to come to Brussels to warn the
Parliament that giving a 20 year monopoly over ideas of software is
really the last thing to do.

A demonstration is planned on the 2nd of June, and demonstrators will
bring the Trojan Horse Common Position from the Council inside the
European Parliament.

As Mark Van Den Borre, from Openstandaarden comments: "This directive
will render software development more risky, and will put in danger
every software programmer of Europe. It is important to raise your voice
before it is too late. If the Parliament votes in favor of some
amendments which implies software patents, they will put in danger all
people developping and using software."

Alexandre Dulanoy, from AEL, added: "ALEX ADDS A STATEMENT HERE".

One year ago, on the 18th May 2004, Mr Bolkestein and the Irish
presidency reached an agreement on the software patent directive, which
could legalise patents on every piece of software which does something
useful.

Last 7th March 2005, the Luxembourg presidency has used magical
procedure to get the common position formally approved, against the will
of 3 countries who wanted to reopen negotiations.

======================================================================

Website

  http://demo.ael.be

======================================================================

Press Release:

  http://demo.ael.be/page.php

Contacts:

  Alexandre Dulaunoy +32-xx-xxxxxx (French/English)

  Mark Van Den Borre +32-4xx-xx-xx-xx (Dutch/English)

======================================================================

About AEL -- http://www.ael.be

The Association Electronique Libre is a belgian association protecting
the fundamental rights in the information society.

The Association Electronique Libre supports the freedoms of speech,
press, and association on the Internet and any electronical mediums, the
right to use encryption software for private communication, the right to
write software unimpeded by private monopolies, the right to access and
preserve public domain and free digital information.

======================================================================

About Openstandaarden -- http://www.openstandaarden.be

OpenStandaarden.be ijvert voor het gebruik van open standaarden bij
alle vormen van digitale communicatie. Onze aanpak bestaat uit het
aangaan van een constructieve dialoog met ICT-verantwoordelijken en
managers. We willen hen bewust maken van het belang van open
standaarden, en hen overtuigen deze ook effectief toe te passen. We
zijn een groep van onafhankelijke vrijwilligers, en gemotiveerd om
onze expertise ter beschikking te stellen bij de realisatie van deze
doelstellingen.

======================================================================



-- 
Benjamin Henrion <bh at udev.org>
http://bh.udev.org
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