RMS: Imminent Danger of Software Patents in Europe

[PILCH Hartmut <phm@a2e.de>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date:          Mon, 3 May 1999 00:35:52 -0600 (MDT)
From:          Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org>

There is a push now to make Europe have software patents
like the US.  If this happens, it could be disastrous for
free software (and bad for anyone who wants to develop software
in Europe).

I hope that you can make an effort to organize programmers and free
software users in Germany, and to talk with the German government to
raise opposition to the plan.  If two countries object to the plan,
that will be enough to block the plan.

For more info, send mail to jp@smets.com--he is organizing an effort
in France, and seems to be having some success with the French
government.  Then please spread the word.  This calls for political
action and there are only about 7 weeks to do it.

-phm