Dean Sas's Weblog

Software Patents

// June 22nd, 2005 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

I wrote to my six MEPs yesterday – the MEPs for the East Midlands, reguarding software patents, stating my position as being against and querying what they thought, I’ve received two replies already, I’m impressed by their speed of reply, if nothing else.

The first reply got back to me, in under twelve hours, this is from Roger Helmer of the Conservative party.

Dear Mr Marshall

Thank you for your recent email on the European Parliament’s review of the Directive on Computer Implemented Inventions.

The objective of this Directive is to clarify existing EU Patent Law and provide patent inspectors with a common framework within which to examine and if appropriate, grant patents for genuine innovations involving digital technology. An explicit objective of the proposal is to ensure that computer software or business methods that do not involve new innovative concepts, but make a technical contribution are excluded from patents. This will give the EU a distinctive position from the US and Japan.

It is vital to ensure that the Directive does not have any adverse effect on open source software development. Parliament is now considering a range of amendments that seek to improve the effectiveness of the Directive in excluding pure software and business methods from patentability. At the same time, genuine inventions incorporating digital technology must have patent protection available.

We are especially concerned to protect innovative companies, particularly small firms, using digital technology to produce original technical solutions. We have been contacted by many businessmen, concerned that they may be excluded from the patent regime by inappropriate amendments to the EU proposal. Patent royalty income is very important to these companies and is a major incentive to innovative research.

It is also important to consider the impact of the Directive on the competitiveness of the European Union in global markets. If Europe’s capacity to protect innovation in the field of technology is reduced, compared to other regions of the world, we may in the long run no longer be able to sustain our standard of living by innovation.

A large number of tabled amendments are now being considered by the rapporteur (lead spokesman) for the proposal, who is likely to propose a `slimmed down´ set of compromise proposals for our consideration. These will cover the definition of “technical contribution” and also safeguards on “interoperability.”

In the end, the Parliament must balance all the arguments and reach a sensible solution that is right for everyone involved in the European economy.

I hope that this information is of use, and I appreciate you taking the time to share your comments.

Yours sincerely,

ROGER HELMER MEP

Yes, they got my name wrong, I got a swift apology and they explained that it was due to the fact that this is a very popular topic at the moment. Good!

In priniciple I agree with him, but it all depends on the definition of technical contribution, interoperability and how they protect open source software.

My other reply was from William Newton Dunn of the Liberal Democrats, his reply was short and sweet:

Dear Mr Sas
I am shall vote in favour of software being patentable in the European
Union.
Best wishes
Bill Newton Dunn

This is the opposite to my position :/, and his sentence didn’t make sense.

You can find more information on software patents at the FFII

Identity Card Bill

// June 17th, 2005 // 16 Comments » // Uncategorized

I have just wrote to my MP Natascha Engel protesting the idea of National Identity Cards via Write to them. I have done this after signing and being encouraged by a pledgebank proposal to boycott ID cards. I’ve explained why I don’t like the bill and asked her views, lets just hope she replies.

I have read about the national identity cards on No2ID as well as in various other places and I cannot see how they are justified, both from a civil liberties point of view and an expense point of view.

The current Home Office forecast is £5.5billion, but independant experts (LSE report) forecast £18billion, the governments (well, their contractors) inability to forecast costs for computer projects is well known, look at the CSA fiasco for example.

I hope that people reading this will be influenced read more about this matter, to campaign against ID cards and most importantly to write to their MPs about the matter.

General Election Result

// May 7th, 2005 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

Well Labours majority has been reduced by 40+ seats….They’ve gone to having over 100 more seats than everyone else put together, to just 66.

This hopefully means that BLiar will find it harder to push through new laws as he’ll have to solicit support from the conservatives, lib dems and Gordon Brown. This is a good thing.

He’ll have to make more concessions to Gordon Brown, who is much more agreeable than Blair is and Blair will probably be out in a couple of years now…

On the home constituency front surprise surprise it was a Labour hold the same as the last 60ish years. Chesterfield are still holding on as the only Lib Dem seat in the East Midlands though

I’m viewing this election as a minor success I guess, here’s to the next one.

Tony Blair – It Wasn’t Me

// April 24th, 2005 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

I’ve just found this highly amusing flash video courtsey of Guido. It’s a parody of Shaggys – It Wasn’t Me track from a couple of years ago, taking the chance to lampoon Blair, Bush, Howard and Blunkett.

It’s altogether quite genius.

Stanley Johnson

// April 24th, 2005 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

Boris Johnson has just wrote an article about his father Stanley Johnson running at the election (as the conservative party candidate of Teignbridge). He’s also blogging as well.

You can tell they’re father and son, look at their photos:

Now I’ve got two Johnsons to read…

Exposed

// April 16th, 2005 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

Channel 4 have impartially reviewed the election manifestos of the three major political parties, Labour, Tory and Lib Dem as part of their factcheck series. Labour I feel certainly comes better off, some of their claims that are rebuked still leave impressive statistics in their place. Whereas a lot of the claims the conservatives use, such as “40000 students leave without a GCSE” fail to take into account that the actual pass rate for GCSEs has rose.

All in all quite an interesting read, I’ve added the factcheck RSS to my newsreader.

Political Survey

// April 16th, 2005 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

Your expected outcome: Green

Your actual outcome: Liberal Democrat

	Labour 11
Conservative -60
	Liberal Democrat 74
UK Independence Party -12
	Green 31

You should vote: Liberal Democrat

The LibDems take a strong stand against tax cuts and a strong one in favour of public services: they would make long-term residential care for the elderly free across the UK, and scrap university tuition fees. They are in favour of a ban on smoking in public places, but would relax laws on cannabis. They propose to change vehicle taxation to be based on usage rather than ownership.

Take the test at Who Should You Vote For