http://www.johnallsopp.co.uk/softwarePatents.html A collection of articles about the current push to legalise software patents in the European Union, thoroughly biased against. http://www.techliberation.com/archives/027496.php A bit of argument preparation http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/newsroom_and_speeches/press/2005/Press_102_05.cfm Here we go again, the UK is reviewing IP, due by the end of the year http://www.freepatentsonline.com/ Search patents free of charge here http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1880085,00.asp It certainly isn't over, here's a rant with some good background links. Maybe get familiar with them ready for our next battle. http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=26743 The next wave of EU software patents legislation as early as 2006 http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/05/business/iprsolutions.php "The European Union may move forward on EU-wide patent coverage". That's news to me. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/developer/0,39020387,39222696,00.htm The FFII and NoSoftwarePatents.com have picked up an award for outstanding contribution to software development for their work in blocking European patent legislation http://www.eweek.com/prestitial/0,,,00.asp?success_page=/article2/0,1895,1861642,00.asp Do software patents stifle innovation? Can't find evidence they don't. http://www.techworld.com/opsys/news/index.cfm?NewsID=4467&inkc=0 So goes the headline, but if you read the article do you get an impression of anything huge happening? http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/06/AR2005090600484.html European Voice awards organisation nominates Florian Müller, founder of the NoSoftwarePatents.com campaign, and Michel Rocard, who covered the EU software patent directive in the EU parliament, nominated for Campaigner of the Year, and MEP of the Year respectively. All nominees seem to be also up for European of the Year. I voted .. you have to vote in all categories though so for some categories I just did a quick check to make sure my random choice wasn't a Nazi. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/06/AR2005090600484.html If you attack a free software package with patents, in the future, you'll lose the right to use that package http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=25732 The European Patent Office is granting patents like these, that individual countries are subsequently rejecting. http://www.alwayson-network.com/comments.php?id=11630_0_5_0_C The inevitability argument http://searchenterpriselinux.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid39_gci1115112,00.html Software patents baad http://www.silicon.com/research/specialreports/opensource/0,3800004943,39151281,00.htm Red Hat will fund patent applications for open source from independent developers http://www.johnallsopp.co.uk/blog200508.php4#swpat A personal, birds eye view of the software patents debate http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050809/sftu115.html?.v=20 OSDL will collect software patent pledges http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/monsanto-pig-patent-111 Patents are not just a problem for software developers http://www.guardian.co.uk/online/comment/story/0,12449,1540984,00.html Stallman expects more battles to come http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=1872 A fascinating look at EU lobbying, with specifics on software patents. http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050731/ZNYT01/507310420/1001/BUSINESS Interesting piece on Microsoft's attitude to patents http://comment.zdnet.co.uk/other/0,39020682,39209580,00.htm Stallman comments on Sun http://lxer.com/module/newswire/view/40182/ Comment on the vote from LXer http://news.zdnet.co.uk/business/legal/0,39020651,39210094,00.htm The national patent offices were granting software patents anyway, so nothing about the European rejection makes them change their mind, and the FFII can't afford to fight many. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4685731.stm Neither the pro nor the anti people wanted it in the end. The pro people can now deal with the national patent offices. http://patentlaw.typepad.com/patent/2005/07/federal_circuit.html Can you imagine trying to deal with this kind of thing as a small business? http://www.johnallsopp.co.uk/softwarePatents.php4#news2 A set of links to news on the European vote http://www.johnallsopp.co.uk/blog200507.php4#swpat4 The Conservative's response. http://www.johnallsopp.co.uk/blog200507.php4#swpat3 The MEPs voted overwhelmingly against the software patents legislation http://www.johnallsopp.co.uk/blog200507.php4#swpat2 Two MEPs wrote back to my software patents letter http://www.johnallsopp.co.uk/blog200507.php4#swpat The day before the vote, I wrote a final letter to our MEPs http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/07/04/business/patents.php I may have misunderstood Sun's position http://www.electronicsweekly.com/articles/article.asp?liArticleID=40141&liArticleTypeID=1&liCategoryID=1&liChannelID=110&liFlavourID=1&sSearch=&nPage=1 Five companies back software patents http://noepatents.eu.org/index.php/NO_Software_Patents Last things to do before the vote http://www.researchoninnovation.org/swpat.pdf Research points to software patents possibly lowering innovation http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/06/27/more_swpat_campaigning/ Alliance calls for businesses to get involved in lobbying http://www.johnallsopp.co.uk/softwarePatents.php4#boycott Boycott those lobbying hard for software patents in Europe http://news.zdnet.co.uk/business/0,39020645,39205242,00.htm Oops, it appears Our Lib Dem MEP, Diana Wallace, went against party policy in the latest software patents vote. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/business/0,39020645,39205242,00.htm Oops, it appears Our Lib Dem MEP, Diana Wallace, went against party policy in the latest software patents vote. http://blogs.zdnet.com/open-source/?p=346 Joe Brockmeier rebuts Microsoft employee John Carroll's pro arguments. http://wiki.ffii.org/FfiiEpp0506En The lobbyists are making the Software Patents Directive look like it disallows software patents. The reality is, it does. This is dishonest and needs to be revealed. http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9593_22-5754104.html Richard Stallman thinks politicians don't understand software patents, so offers an idea of how patents might have affected literature if they could be applied. http://news.ft.com/cms/s/329cb864-e1bb-11d9-9460-00000e2511c8.html European Parliament's legal affairs committee throws out amendments, software patents looking more likely http://news.zdnet.co.uk/business/0,39020645,39203722,00.htm Rocard makes a clear amendment. I'm starting to think this is winnable. http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1825241,00.asp This analogy might work when dealing with non-technical people http://www.johnallsopp.co.uk/blog200506.php4#swpatLabour Labour replies to MEP software patents letter http://www.johnallsopp.co.uk/blog200506.php4#swpatConservative The Conservatives reply to MEP software patents letter http://www.johnallsopp.co.uk/blog200506.php4#swpatUKIP UKIP replies to MEP software patents letter http://www.johnallsopp.co.uk/blog200506.php4#swpat A new letter to MEPs is signed by ten Scarborough Linux User Group members http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index.cfm?NewsID=11702&Page=1&pagePos=12 The EU has commissioned a study into the effects of software patents on innovation, but won't wait for the results before voting http://www.shout99.com/contractors/showarticle.pl?id=32873 The Professional Contractors Group comes out against software patents http://comment.zdnet.co.uk/rupertgoodwins/0,39020691,39201549,00.htm Groklaw has taken the UK Patent Office's workshop results, created a proposed new definition for use in the European software directive, and put it up for comment http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2005/06/02/eu_patent_demo_conf/ A conference about European software patents was held yesterday. Article summarises the issues for those against, and the parliament's plans http://www.managinginformation.com/news/content_show_full.php?id=3896 A workable form of words is possible, but we're not there yet. http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3506836 If you don't know what we're talking about, start here, but be aware it's US-focussed. http://www.digital-copyright.ca/node/view/862 Reuters article describes suit against Microsoft for Excel http://www.digital-copyright.ca/node/view/863 Uber God Richard Stallman is preparing to speak in Calgary against Software Patents, here are some preparatory emails http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,39020381,39198734,00.htm European Parliament enlists IP experts to ensure pure software is not patentable http://news.ft.com/cms/s/4a3db4d0-c6f1-11d9-a700-00000e2511c8.html Michel Rocard proposes amendments to the software patents directive to allow software to be patentable only when it controls a physical process. http://www.detnews.com/2005/technology/0505/06/tech-173116.htm Patent officers are overwhelmed, the courts are clogged and patent trolls are extorting money. In America now, the word "patent" is often followed by "reform". http://www.technewsworld.com/story/42752.html How do software patents relate to Open Source development? This article brings up some interesting points. http://www.corante.com/copyfight/archives/2005/05/04/patents_and_the_software_industry.php That's obviously why big companies are pushing for them, then. http://management.silicon.com/government/talkback.htm?PROCESS=show&ID=20047048&AT=39130099-39024677t-40000033c The Lib Dems argue back http://informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=162100345 Microsoft, Intel Building Up Patent Portfolios http://www.infoworld.com/article/05/04/26/HNmikcosinterview_1.html Marten Mickos gives a few good quotable lines against software patents in this general interview http://www.linuxworld.com.au/index.php/id;666763804;fp;2;fpid;1 Commercial companies are prepared to threaten, says FSFs Moglen http://www.computerworld.com/governmenttopics/government/legalissues/story/0,10801,101310,00.html If you're big enough, you can change the law to escape unfavourable judgments http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20050421-4837.html If so, why isn't it being more widely reported? http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1788805,00.asp What will happen is anyone's guess http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/04/20/231203 Rocard, EU rapporteur has produced a report that we like, ready for the next reading on July 6th http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;382894148;fp;16;fpid;0 Michael Tiemann, VP of Open Source Affairs at Red Hat, says every time a software patent is issued, it's a promise to cease to innovate in that space for twenty years http://www.osnews.com/story.php?news_id=10354&page=1 Here, Christian Schaller focuses on how to win the political argument, and claims that the big companies, contrary to the popular view that they will play patent games among themselves, want patents in order to stop the little guys. http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1788062,00.asp MySQL co-founders Axmark and Widenius say patents should be canned altogether http://htmlfixit.com/?p=596 An example where software patents that perhaps shouldn't have been granted are being used to 'tax' a UK firm's share trading system when it trades on the Canadian stock exchange http://star-techcentral.com/tech/story.asp?file=/2005/4/19/itfeature/10659004&sec=itfeature A neat summary of why we don't like software patents from Malaysia's The Star http://www.heise.de/english/newsticker/news/58568 .. but to take the needs of the open source movement seriously http://comment.zdnet.co.uk/other/0,39020682,39195064,00.htm The patent poison spreads http://www.johnallsopp.co.uk/swpatBurnett.php4 I've transcribed the talk Dr Farrell Burnett gave at the Scarborough Linux User Group a few weeks ago, and added a few useful links http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/0,39023165,39187609,00.htm Although IBM arguably holds the most patents, it seeks to be seen as the good guy http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/71275/uk-pto-workshop-divides-lawyers-and-engineers-over-patents.html A very interesting look at how differently software engineers and lawyers see the problem, and by implication, how difficult it will be to establish a working system http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=160502321 Information week, professor urges open source developers to oppose software patents http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/ZDM/story?id=649785 John Dvorak in PC Magazine thinks Microsoft might be destroyed by software patents http://www.johnallsopp.co.uk/blog200503.php4#patentMEPs3 A letter from Diana Wallis http://www.johnallsopp.co.uk/blog200503.php4#patentMEPs2 A letter from Godfrey Bloom http://www.johnallsopp.co.uk/blog200503.php4#patentMEPs Letter from Richard Corbett and Edward McMillan Scott http://www.nosoftwarepatents.com/en/m/intro/index.html Campaign website (if I remember rightly, soon to demise in favour of the FFII) http://swpat.ffii.org/index.en.html Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure briefing. Join up for a whole bunch of useful stuff. http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,66938,00.html/wn_ascii Wired article http://observer.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,,1436170,00.html It's patently absurd to let the bureaucrats take over.