Lobbying For Linux

Telex4 writes "Slashdot has heard a lot lately about why software patents are bad, and the passage of the legislation in the EU. But other than the online demo and a few pictures of the demonstration outside the European Parliament, Slashdotters hear little about the real behind-the-scenes lobbying. I've just put an article up on Newsforge describing and discussing my experiences lobbying inside the Parliament that might shed a little light on what we mortal geeks can do to save ourselves. There are some accompanying photos on my web site for those who like visual aids." (NewsForge and Slashdot are both part of OSDN.)

Comments

Lobby for Open Standards

[Brandybuck]

Don't lobby for Linux. Besides being a FreeBSD user hating to see EU nations ban everything but Linux, it also doesn't do anything to correct the pervasion monoculture in governments. While 100% use of Linux is better than 100% use of Windows, 100% use of anything is still bad.

So lobby for Open Source instead. Lobby for Open Standards. Those will also be much easier to get acceptance.

What to do?

[Elektroschock]

Time is running out. We will not stop this directive but we can support important amendments filed by some MEPs in order to get a sufficient directive.

Adresses of EU - representatives

http://wwwdb.europarl.eu.int/ep5/owa/p_meps2.rep ar tition?ipid=0&ilg=EN&iorig=home&imsg=

personal > telephone call > Fax > letter > email

The directive is called COM(02)92, it will be voted on Wednesday.

Info about Amendments (please directly refer to these, no general texts, the first link is a must read):

http://swpat.ffii.org/papiere/eubsa-swpat0202/pl en 0309/index.en.html
http://swpat.ffii.org/papiere/ eubsa-swpat0202/plen 0309/kond/index.en.html

It is especially useful to support Mrs. Kauppi against patent radical Wurmling in the conservative group

http://swpat.ffii.org/#wuermeling-pr030919

Background

General:
http://swpat.ffii.org/analyse/index.de.html

Technical contribution (what is really meant, we want a definition in the directive based on the "natural forces" theory):
http://swpat.ffii.org/papiere/eubsa-swpa t0202/tech /index.en.html

Program claims (dangerous for web site owners):
http://swpat.ffii.org/papiere/eubsa-swpa t0202/prog /index.en.html

Interoperability (support ITRE against Juri proposal)
http://swpat.ffii.org/papiere/eubsa-swp at0202/itop /index.en.html

Don't write to Green party members or EFA as they are convinced yet, focus on Liberals, Conservative(Finnish MEP Kauppi has made good amendments)
and Social democrats

One of the funniest arguments was Wurmling's text who stated that Eolas vs. Microsoft showed best practise for SME. Incompetence and lies rule within the EU parliament. We shall not let patent lawyer interest groups win this battle.

Re:What to do?

[cobbaut]

Remember, when writing to an MEP that they are real persons, usually with real lives and real interest in making a better Europe.

So be polite, be very clear on the subject, be fair.

Several weeks ago i wrote an e-mail to 15 Belgian MEP's and some of them replied. From those replies i understood that they are very aware of the subject (yes some MEP's really are very intelligent).

cheers,
pol :)

Re:Cluelessness

[AvantLegion]

It is impossible for an individual to know everything about everything.

If the average Slashdotter sat down with the average politician, and each spoke about political issues, the Slashdotter would educate the politician on computer issues, and the politician would educate the Slashdotter on a hell of a lot more.

Software (and copyrights/patents) is one tiny aspect of what these people deal with on a daily basis. It's important for people to step up and communicate with them, as the article writer did, because there's no way for the politician and assistants to keep up on EVERY issue with the kind of depth that people around here do on a small handful of issues that pertain to our careers/hobbies.

Re:Smug bullshit

[panurge]

Trade issues like IP and patentability are among the roots of wars, famine and poverty. It is a small step from this issue to the availability of cheap AIDS medicines in Third World countries, or the exploitation of Third World farmers by Western control of genetically modified monocultures. If we want to do something about international justice we need to start at home - and that means things we understand better than most. I am not qualified to explain the problems of GM crops to a representative, but I am qualified to explain the problems created by software patents. So that's what I should do. Don't criticise the people trying to bring down the wall with pickaxes because other people are using hammers.