Europe and Software Patents
Categorie: Digital TechnologyThe European Parliament must vote against overseas software industry monopolies.
On 17th March, the European Commission, giving in to the pressures of some large groups, mainly from overseas, approved the directive providing for the extension of patenting to Software and commercial methods.
This directive was passed regardless of the opposition by the European Parliament, expressed during the first reading.
The European Commission silenced democratic requests coming from Denmark, Poland, Cyprus and Holland in an authoritarian manner.
The last chance for the European Parliament to stop this directive is during its second reading (6th July), but an absolute majority will be required, which is difficult to reach for a directive, the devastating relevance of which is hard to realise, as far as the development of the European economy is concerned.
As humanists, we regard software patents, just like economics or any other topic, with our eyes turned on concrete human beings, their needs and their rights. We care that all of us take advantage of science and technology, and not just a minority make it as a tool to reinforce their power and finance:
we do not only see software patents in Europe as a way for dominant overseas companies to rule the global market, as is easy to foresee – taking into account current cases –,
we do not only see in software patents in general as a way for the biggest companies to rule their market place by threatening growing small businesses, as they are used to,
we do not only see in software patents as a threat to the development of standards and common practices in software development that usually benefits the end-users, that is to say those for who all software efforts are made,
but, finally, we also see in software patents wide open doors to the privatization of more and more cultural production of humanity, as has been seen for a long time, and that no one can decently tolerate.
On the other hand, there is obviously no need for Europe to start using these dangerous patents.
European humanists request that the European Parliament participate with an absolute majority to vote against this directive and ensure that software patents won’t be in use in Europe, to avoid bending the European economy to the interests of the large American-based multi-national software companies.
Let Europe continue its own way, its own model, not giving up to the pressures of the current mammoths, as we know all mammoths are destined to extinction, whereas our peoples are here forever, awaking to a new consciousness that is arising.
