[Objcryst-foxx] Free Crystallographic software and software patents - European Parliament

[Vincent Favre-N. <vi...@us...>]

	Hi all,

   This is a message specifically for the users of Fox from the=20
European Union. Please read on as this is important, for the future=20
availability of free/open-source software, for Crystallography and in=20
general.

THE ISSUE:
   Software patents have been illegal so far in Europe, but this is=20
about to change. Although patents in general are useful, they lead to=20
serious abuse in the computing/algorithm business because it gives=20
the ability to large corporations to patent _extremely_ trivial=20
ideas, which can then use it to sue independent developers (such as=20
myself) or from small corporations, without leaving them any chance=20
to defend themselves (do you have a lawyer at hand ?).

   If you are not aware of this issue, please read a short article=20
that I wrote for the first issue of the IUCr computin Commission=20
NewsLetter, in html:
http://www.fr.iucr.org/iucr-top/comm/ccom/newsletters/2003jan/html/index.=
html#vincent
or in pdf (5Mb), page 76:
http://www.fr.iucr.org/iucr-top/comm/ccom/newsletters/2003jan/iucrcompcom=
m_jan2003.pdf

   Also interesting is the official "Study" of the European Parliament=20
(longer). It clearly states that open-source developpers and small=20
and medium enterprises will be the victims of such a system ("study"=20
document at the bottom):
http://www.europarl.eu.int/hearings/20021107/juri/default_en.htm
Why he concludes that patents should be allowed just for the sake of=20
large companies, can be understood from the intense lobbying of large=20
US software corporations.


WHAT HAPPENS NOW:
   Oponents (basically everybody but large software corporations and=20
greedy lawyers) are slowly gaining ground (especially with the=20
increasing use of open-source software in governmental bodies), but=20
the text will be voted on ON THE 30TH OF JUNE, instead of the=20
previously scheduled date at the autumn. In a smart move they put it=20
on the first day of the session, in a 2hour session only, where few=20
representatives are likely to be there, and when no debate will=20
happen.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:
   Use your phone and pen&paper (email will _not_ be very efficient),=20
fax maybe, and write to your European representative. Explain them=20
the issue, that this would give almost aboslute power to large=20
corporations to decide which "free" software is allowed to exist.
   Is the distribution of software like Fox going to require having a=20
lawyer at hand ??

You can find the adress of the representatives at:
http://wwwdb.europarl.eu.int/ep5/owa/p_meps2.repartition?

NOTE: Such an issue is important. Taking half or even a full day for a=20
lifetime with the freedom to create and distribute freely _your_=20
program is really worth it.

	Regards,
		Vincent

PS: I will not apologize for the inconvenience to people in the list=20
who believe scientists should not meddle with politics, because they=20
are wrong. It actually is our duty.
--=20
Vincent Favre-Nicolin
Universit=E9 Joseph Fourier & CEA Grenoble (France)
http://v.favrenicolin.free.fr
ObjCryst & Fox : http://objcryst.sourceforge.net