Re: An Open Letter On Software Patents and EU Election (fwd)

Tim Jackson wrote:

> 
> But let's not forget Alan's other suggestion - the Greens. To anyone who
> has only taken a passing interest, the Greens in the European Parliament
> are considerably more substantial in number and therefore carry more
> weight than they do in the UK political scene, and have been exemplary on
> the software patents issue - they have been the driving force behind
> promoting and tabling the amendments required to avoid unlimited
> patentability, and they have provided a huge amount of positive support
> and resources to anti-patent campaigners. So on that particular issue at
> least they deserve full support and are therefore probably a good choice,
> particularly if you're not keen on the UKIP. 


NB.  We had the Green Party's #1 candidate for Eastern Region at the 
meeting in Cambridge yesterday, and I thought she was very good indeed.

She'd been over in Brussels visiting Jean Lambert (London region Green 
MEP) last autumn, and on Lambert's encouragement had attended the 
anti-swpat one day conference -- and been obviously impressed.

Despite a very busy campaign schedule, she'd gone over her notes from 
then and spoke (I thought) knowledgeably and impressively (and a lot 
more coherently than I fear I did!)

(An MP3 of my talk is now up at
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/cambridge/2004/06/292794.html
As Indymedia rather charitably put it:
	"from a fairly traditional 'this is why patents are bad for business 
and innovation" perspective' ... it wanders a bit"
With luck they may also have some of the candidates comments soon).


The Greens don't currently have any MEP from Eastern Region.  From what 
I saw (and depending on who looks realistic for achieving an extra 
quota), she wouldn't be a bad addition to have in Brussels at all.


Andrew Duff MEP (Eastern Region, Lib Dem) does seem genuinely 
sympathetic to the overall argument for copyright rather than patents -- 
but seems primarily drawn to unhappy compromise -- "any directive rather 
than no directive", and "no point in backing anything which won't 
achieve a qualified majority".

My impression is that he'll only go with something if he thinks it can 
win, and sees the pivotal player as Lord Sainsbury.