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Poland Erases EU's Pro-Software Patent Majority

Posted by timothy on from the you-forgot-poland dept.

Algorithm wrangler writes "It looks like there is no longer a majority for software patents in the EU. Yay to our Polish friends - glad you made it in ... Now we can just hope for a bigger push in my own country too (the Danish minister got fried over this issue recently)."

46 comments

  1. YFL by JHromadka · · Score: 1, Funny

    Looks like the software patent people forgot about Poland.

    --
    "The objective of securing the safety of Americans from crime and terror has been achieved." -- John Ashcroft
  2. Don't Forget Poland! by jkujawa · · Score: 2, Insightful

    They did well on the whole Engima thing, too.

  3. Fired or Fried? by SpaceLifeForm · · Score: 1

    Inquiring minds want to know.

    --
    You are being MICROattacked, from various angles, in a SOFT manner.
    1. Re:Fired or Fried? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Unfortunately just fried - although fired would have been more appropriate for the lack of attention that he showed this important issue. Being minster for economics and industry, and then not show up for the vote is not a wise move in my mind.

  4. I vote against software patents by Free_Trial_Thinking · · Score: 1


    I vote against software patents. (I just wanted to voice one small opinion.)

  5. US economic sanctions surely to come... by davidwr · · Score: 1

    How long before Big Business makes Washington impose economic sanctions on Poland and is friends for daring to defy the will of the Almighty Corporate Hemogony?

    --
    Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
    1. Re:US economic sanctions surely to come... by Halo1 · · Score: 1

      The nice thing is that several big businesses support Poland's decision (such as Sun, Novel and HP). From the parties present at the ministry meeting, more or less only Microsoft and a couple of patent lawyers were opposed (surprise).

      --
      Donate free food here
    2. Re:US economic sanctions surely to come... by nusratt · · Score: 1

      what's "Hemogony"?
      something that one eats with "grits"?

    3. Re:US economic sanctions surely to come... by linuxhansl · · Score: 1
      That'd be quite interesting with the EU being the stronger economic power.

      The Bush administration already backed off from steel-tarifs when the EU (backed by the WTO) imposed sanctions on US imports this year. (Of course that's nothing you hear much about in the US news)

      Thankfully the EU is a place that is not arbitrarily kicked around by the US anymore, though the Europeans may not quite realize that, yet... In time they will.

    4. Re:US economic sanctions surely to come... by RWerp · · Score: 1

      If Microsoft did not succeed in making Polish government back software patents directive, this is a welcome change. In the past, Microsoft was very influential in Poland.

      --
      "Long run is a misleading guide to current affairs. In the long run we are all dead." (John Maynard Keynes)
  6. That clinches it by aelbric · · Score: 1

    Screw Canada. If the Poles support relaxed copyrights with a sensible time duration, I am moving there. Sounds like at least one government has its head on its shoulders.

    3.98:1 exchange for Polish zloty to the dollar, 200 miles from Munich, 700 from Amsterdam, and I hear they have cheap broadband internet access. Sounds good to me.

    --
    nos laetus epulor qui would domito nos
    1. Re:That clinches it by Gadzinka · · Score: 3, Interesting

      3.98:1 exchange for Polish zloty to the dollar

      Actually, according to Polish Central Bank it's 3.2582/3.2758/3.3240 (sell/mean/buy) today.

      US dolar used to be even >4.0 some time ago (2002), but since the beginning of Dubya presidency it's constantly falling. Not that I claim that those two are related ;)

      Robert

      PS You are welcome, vodka and caviar are cheap here (from 30pln for 1 litre of vodka), women are cute and the "age of consent" is 15 ;)

      --
      Bastard Operator From 193.219.28.162
    2. Re:That clinches it by aelbric · · Score: 1

      Oops, that's what I get for going to a static website for currency exchange info. 3.25 is still pretty good if the cost of living locally is not off the scale.

      Tough little country, Poland. Survived the Nazis and the Communists both in the same century(along with Czechoslovakia, Hungary, et al.). Guess you guys know what dictatorship is really about. Maybe if they change the Visa rules, some more of you folks can come over and have a word with our congressmen. They seem to need a talking to.

      --
      nos laetus epulor qui would domito nos
    3. Re:That clinches it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, we do. Thats why we are pissed about the USA a bit :) (ok, much). There are actually quite a few Hungarians in the states, after 1956(hungarian revolution crushed by soviets) lots of people emigrated. I won't visit the states until they change the ridicoulus rules about biometric scans and visa anyway ;) Also, im spending, as a hungarian, quite much time in Poland and, don't be concerned about the cost of living, as its considerably cheaper than N. America.

    4. Re:That clinches it by Xtifr · · Score: 1

      I'd rather go with a country that was opposed to this nonsense all along, rather than one that had a last-minute change of heart. Too much danger that they could change back.

      I wonder if the FSF-Europe has any recommendations on where I (we) should relocate. :)

    5. Re:That clinches it by Cobra_666 · · Score: 1

      Everything right except for broadband (and the currency as some other guy said ;)... it's definately not cheap. For 249 pln/month you get 1 mbit/s... I'm not saying that there aren't any cheaper options, but they have monthly transfer limits or don't allow you to share your connection with your friends/neighbors...

    6. Re:That clinches it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Poland didn't change its opinion. See my post below.

    7. Re:That clinches it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, we spoke just after we got into EU. It really was not long ago, but you can say that it was our government who spoke against patents. Our IT people did it a long, long ago!

    8. Re:That clinches it by RWerp · · Score: 1

      Add to it: corporate income tax 19%.

      --
      "Long run is a misleading guide to current affairs. In the long run we are all dead." (John Maynard Keynes)
    9. Re:That clinches it by RWerp · · Score: 1

      Tough little country
      With nearly 40 million inhabitants, I wouldn't call it "little".

      --
      "Long run is a misleading guide to current affairs. In the long run we are all dead." (John Maynard Keynes)
  7. I have one thing to say ... by crimethinker · · Score: 3, Funny
    ... to the pro-software patent majority:

    YOU FORGOT POLAND!

    Thank you, I'll be here all week. Remember to tip your waitress.

    -paul

    --
    Pistol caliber is like religion: everyone has their favourite, and theirs is the only right choice.
    1. Re:I have one thing to say ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Did you moderate yourself up or something? The joke was already made in the from-the-dept line as well as earlier comments.

  8. EU forgot Poland by humuhumunukunukuapu' · · Score: 1

    sorry :)

    --
    i saw the baby, and the baby looked at me
  9. As Bush would say to the EU: by douthat · · Score: 3, Funny

    You forgot Poland!

    --
    She loves me: 09F911029D74E35BD84156C5635688C0 She loves me not: 09F911029D74E35BD84156C5635688BF ...
  10. Time to learn more about Poland by UnapprovedThought · · Score: 1

    Time to start brushing up on the Polish language, or at least to have a closer idea of how to pronounce Polish words and names:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_language

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poland

    The second article is a longer description of Poland along with history, maps, lots of images etc.

    If software patents pass, when strong AI becomes available even thoughts (presented in patent jargon like "problem-solving heuristics in artificial neural networks: adapting techniques of the biological model") can be patented. Somebody has to draw the line somewhere, before we end up as automatons, forced to group-think all of the time.

    1. Re:Time to learn more about Poland by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Artifiial intelligence ? AI systems will be like the air we're breathing, to our daily activieties, in less than 15 years. We should mention that more often. It's not too far ahead. Remember there already are computer chips in most things surrounding you. Patenting ideas comprises so much power over market and society that it just should never happen. This is the intellectual a-bomb, and they still insist it's only about power plants (which also rise problems anyway).

  11. They admitted it? by CheetahMk2 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    However, at a meeting hosted by the Polish government on the 5th of this month, everyone including representatives of the Polish Patent Office, SUN, Novell, Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft, as well as various patent lawyers, confirmed that the present proposal of the EU Council does make all software potentially patentable.

    That's pretty interesting. Poland said that they would not stand for pattenting of business methods, and that's why they were against it - that's the same mess that makes '___ on the web' pattentable here in the US. I think that was a good call on their part.

    Also, when in a room with Microsoft & Co., they admitted it WOULD allow pattenting of everything. I think that says something. I only regret that Poland's only issue is the pattentability of code that can "run on an average personal computer", not code in general. As soon as they fix that issue, Poland looks like they will side with it next time around.

    1. Re:They admitted it? by RWerp · · Score: 1

      Also, when in a room with Microsoft & Co., they admitted it WOULD allow pattenting of everything. I think that says something. I only regret that Poland's only issue is the pattentability of code that can "run on an average personal computer", not code in general. As soon as they fix that issue, Poland looks like they will side with it next time around.

      The "average personal computer" wording does not appear in the official statement of Polish government, which can be found at http://www.kprm.gov.pl/441_12649.htm (alas, only in Polish). The statement says about computers in general.

      --
      "Long run is a misleading guide to current affairs. In the long run we are all dead." (John Maynard Keynes)
  12. And I thought Scotts were horrible... by M1FCJ · · Score: 1
    (the Danish minister got fried over this issue recently)

    After deep-fried Mars bar... This is quite a suprise.

  13. Belgian vote in doubt -- Infoworld by JPMH · · Score: 2, Informative
    Infoworld's report is claiming that the Polish decision may still be negated, if Belgium changes its vote. According to Mark MacGann of EICTA:
    "In May, Belgium voted to abstain, and though I cannot speak for the Belgium government, we have been extremely encouraged by meetings we have had with officials in Belgium and are cautiously optimistic that they may change their vote to yes," MacGann said.

    Should Belgium decide to approve the Council's version of the directive, Poland's change of heart would not keep the "Patentability of Computer-implemented Inventions" from being formally approved and the legislation would then move to a second reading in the Parliament, where the contentious debate would continue, MacGann said.

    According to NoSoftwarePatents.com, MacGann has got his sums wrong.

    But this vote won't be over until it's over.

  14. More reports by JPMH · · Score: 2, Informative
    More reports:

    See also FFII's Breaking News wiki

    The Council of Ministers' first reading text had been scheduled for fast-track approval before the end of the year, probably by Agriculture and Fisheries ministers.

  15. Say it with me please by silicon+not+in+the+v · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    w00t!

    --
    We may experience some slight turbulence and then...explode. -Capt. Mal Reynolds
  16. YAY Poland! by sudog · · Score: 1

    I've always liked Polish people anyway.

  17. Re:Don't forget by E_elven · · Score: 1

    The polish reversed their earlier notation.

    --
    Marxist evolution is just N generations away!
  18. Poland looking for leveage? by Lead+Butthead · · Score: 1

    This could easily being an attempt by the Polish government to leveage for more... western... investments.

    --
    ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI!?
    1. Re:Poland looking for leveage? by Trurl's+Machine · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Not likely. Poland is right now in a severe political turmoil, the government has recently fallen due to corruption allegations and there's another interim government with rather weak (if any) support in the parlament. There's no long-term planning of anything, the government will just manage things until the next election. Every day the press reveals another evidence of corruption. The sentence "Tinted windscreen, man, tinted windscreen.. it's better than... better than... better than... anything!", taken from transcript of secret service taping of conversations of one MP with a lobbyist corrupting him with a gift of a brand-new Mercedes Benz (with tinted windscreen) is now as popular in "watercooler" conversations as "You forgot about Poland". It turned out that in Polish government everyone took bribes from everyone, but they were too lazy/incompetent to do what they took bribes for. It's quite typical for Poland and that's why things have sometimes a happy ending here - when the politicians become too corupt and stupid, they sortof step back, enjoy their tinted windscreens and... let the wise men do their job. I guess that's what happened here.

    2. Re:Poland looking for leveage? by maciejkt · · Score: 1

      That's a pretty good summary of the situation here.

      Do not put great faith in Poland, people. It's a strange place to live. :-)

    3. Re:Poland looking for leveage? by RWerp · · Score: 1

      It's stupid for a Pole to respond to another Pole's criticism of Poland on Slashdot, but I'll try. I think the parent poster is overly pessimistic, the guy who took the bribes is already in jail and he didn't succeed in convincing anyone in the government to his propositions. THe corruption is really large in Poland, but it's not like Chicago in Al Capone's times, not yet at least ;-)

      Anyway, I find it amusing that when Poland is being praised on Slashdot, the people who bitch it most are those from Poland... Are we Poles so used to p...ng against the wind?

      --
      "Long run is a misleading guide to current affairs. In the long run we are all dead." (John Maynard Keynes)
    4. Re:Poland looking for leveage? by Trurl's+Machine · · Score: 1

      It's stupid for a Pole to respond to another Pole's criticism of Poland on Slashdot,

      Stupid - maybe. But also quite typical for us, isn't it? :)

  19. Viva Poland - Again! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It appears that Poland does not like Fascists! Be they Nazis or American corporations.

  20. Re:Don't forget by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Polish vote wasn't counted earlier because the majority was enought during the first voting. But since then the way of deciding in EU has changed and now Poland has stronger position and without Poland there can't be majority in this case. Couple months ago Poland didn't present its opinion, couse it couldn't change the majority anyway. Now it seems Polish government will block software patents. But the new EU constitiution will take away Polish strong position again.

  21. At least the joke books will be easy to rewrite... by Crash+Culligan · · Score: 1

    s/polock/patent attorney/w

    --
    You cannot truly appreciate Dilbert until you read it in the original Klingon.
  22. Re:Don't forget by RWerp · · Score: 1

    Not so soon, as the constitution will take more than a year to be ratified by all 25 states and come into effect, if ratified (it's still far from certain). Plus, the difference really isn't that big.

    --
    "Long run is a misleading guide to current affairs. In the long run we are all dead." (John Maynard Keynes)