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Companies get involved against software patents and the current proposal for a unitary patent

Submitted by jtadeusz on 5 September, 2012 - 17:58
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April offers to companies to publicly declare their opposition to software patents, by signing a resolution asking to the Committee on Legal Affairs of the European Parliament to amend the regulation on the unitary patent.

April writes to Members of the JURI Committee of the European Parliament to share concerns on Software Patents

Submitted by jtadeusz on 4 September, 2012 - 13:41
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On September 4th, 2012, April wrote to Members of the Legal Affairs (JURI) Committee of the European Parliament to share our concerns regarding the unitary patent and the threat of software patents coming back.

Here is the text of the note that was sent to MEPs (which is also avaible in OpenDocument and PDF formats). Please feel free to use for inspiration in your discussions with MEPs!

General mobilisation against the return of software patents in Europe

Submitted by jtadeusz on 3 September, 2012 - 12:18
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Paris, September 3rd, 2012. Press release.

In the next few days, the legal affairs (JURI) Committee of the European Parliament will discuss on the next actions regarding the project for a unitary patent. Behind what looks like a technical text lies a crucial issue: who decides on what is patentable and what is not.

As software patents are coming back in international news with the Apple/Samsung case, we need to ensure that such aberrations cannot happen in Europe. April calls for a general mobilisation to contact all MEPs, so that the European Parliament finally tackles the issue of the software patentability.

The European Economic and Social Council, favouring a reform of copyright and patents, is concerned about the unitary patent

Submitted by mchauvet on 21 juillet, 2012 - 11:23
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On March 6th, 2012 the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) 1 on the "Communication from the Commission - Towards a single market of intellectual property"2 was published

  • 1. For more informations on the EESC: http://www.eesc.europa.eu/.
  • 2. The communication is available on http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/copyright/docs/ipr_strategy/COM_2011_287_fr.pdf .

    • Unitary Patent: European Parliament reinstall a democratic procedure. Let's take a part in this!

    Submitted by gsedrati-dinet on 11 juillet, 2012 - 10:45
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    On July 10th 2012, the Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) of the European Parliament has discussed about the unitary patent and how to proceed forward with the project.

    A New Debate on the Unitary Patent: let's make it relevant!

    Submitted by jtadeusz on 10 juillet, 2012 - 11:00
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    On July 10th, 2012, the Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) of the European Parliament will discuss the unitary patent.

    The European Parliament Avoids Disaster, But the Unitary Patent is not Saved Yet

    Submitted by jtadeusz on 7 juillet, 2012 - 10:36
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    Paris/Strasbourg, 2012, July 3rd. Press release.

    ACTA, dead on the Fourth of July ?

    Submitted by fcouchet on 4 juillet, 2012 - 13:19
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    Paris/Strasbourg, Wednesday, July 4th, 2012. Press release.

    The result of a an unbelievable citizen mobilisation, the European Parliament rejected today the “anti-counterfeiting” trade agreement ACTA (39 in favor of ACTA, 478 against and 165 abstentions). April congratulates the MEPs for their vote and applaudes all those who, for the past four years, have taken a stance against this agreement.

    Down with ACTA! The EU must protect our commons

    Submitted by fcouchet on 2 juillet, 2012 - 15:49
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    Joint press release by 53 European and International organisations to invite Members of European Parliament to reject ACTA, and beyond, engage in a positive reform of copyright and patents.

    ACTA threatens fundamental freedoms online, Net neutrality, innovation, access to and sharing of free/libre/open technologies, education, culture, essential medicines and seeds.

    Open Letter to MEPs « Unitary patent - For a democratic innovation policy in Europe »

    Submitted by fcouchet on 2 juillet, 2012 - 09:21
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    On 28 June 2012, Lionel Allorge, president of April, wrote to all MEPs about the proposal for a regulation implementing enhanced cooperation in the area of the creation of unitary patent protection.

    Towards Blue Screen of Software Patents' Death ?

    Submitted by fcouchet on 25 juin, 2012 - 14:27
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    Paris, June 25th, 2012. Press release.

    On July 4th, 2012, the European Parliament is expected to vote on a regulation on the unitary patent. April is calling upon action to contact MEPs, so that they table amendments that fix the flaws and issues of the project.

    A Free Call for a Europe Free of Software Patents

    Submitted by fcouchet on 25 juin, 2012 - 10:39
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    The European Parliament will vote on July 4th 2012 for a regulation on the unitary patent.

    The current text, as agreed in December 2011 by the Commission, the Council and the Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) of the European Parliament, amounts for the European Union (EU) to waive its powers to define a patent policy for the benefit of the European Patent Office (EPO), which is not an EU body and whose governance has been highly criticised, specially with regard to its practice of granting software patents, against the letter and the spirit of European patent law.

    INTA Committee Must Reject ACTA

    Submitted by jtadeusz on 20 juin, 2012 - 12:09
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    Paris/Brussels, Wednesday, June 20th, 2012. Press release.

    ACTA threatens fundamental freedoms online, Net neutrality, innovation, access to free/libre technologies and to essential medicines. The European Parliament has all the evidence needed to reject it, and if it were to postpone the final vote on the agreement it would be seen as escaping its political responsibility.

    On Thursday, June 21st, Members of the International Trade (INTA) committee of the EU Parliament will issue their final recommendation on ACTA to the rest of the Parliament.

    Unitary Patent: Europe keeps burying its head in the sand

    Submitted by jtadeusz on 4 juin, 2012 - 12:23
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    On May 30th, 2012, the Competitiveness Council of the European Union was expected to discuss the project of a unitary patent. Although the contents of the discussions are unknown, their result – a failure to reach an common agreement – points out how problematic this messed-up project is. Therefore, April calls once again the French government and Fleur Pellerin to reject the current text. The association also asks that discussions materials be published in order to shed light on every issue of this project.

    ACTA rejected by MEPs in ITRE, JURI, LIBE committees: let's keep on fighting!

    Submitted by jtadeusz on 31 mai, 2012 - 16:29
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    Paris, May 31st 2012. Press release.

    April congratulates Members of the ITRE1, JURI2 and LIBE3 committees of the European Parliament for refusing ACTA. But we have not won that war yet and we need to stay mobilized.

    • 1. Industry, Research and Energy
    • 2. Legal Affairs
    • 3. Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

    April's president asks MEPs to oppose ACTA

    Submitted by fcouchet on 29 mai, 2012 - 19:54
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    On 29 May 2012 Lionel Allorge, president of April, wrote to MEPs in ITRE (Industry, Research and Energy), JURI (Legal affairs) and LIBE (Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs) asking them to oppose ACTA. Visit the website of La Quadrature du Net for more information about the votes scheduled this week.

    Stop software patents now

    Submitted by jtadeusz on 18 mai, 2012 - 15:59
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    Paris, May 16th 2012. Press release.

    The next Competitiveness Council will be held on May 30th and 31st 2012. François Hollande's government will be attending it for the first time1. April calls upon the French president to take this opportunity to act against software patents and to bring up the flaws and the issues of the current unitary patent project.

    • 1. The "competitiveness" EU Council gathers the industry ministers of the EU Member States

    The questionnaire from April's Candidats.fr for the 2012 French presidential election

    Submitted by mchauvet on 9 mai, 2012 - 21:51
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    April forwaded its Candidats.fr questionnaire to the candidates to the French presidential election.

    United States: The Supreme Court limits the scope of what is patentable. What impact for Europe and software patents?

    Submitted by mchauvet on 9 mai, 2012 - 20:51
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    On March 20th 2012, the US Supreme Court issued its ruling in the Mayo vs Promotheus1. It is a salutary reminder on the limits to the scope of what is patentable, for it reaffirms that laws of nature, just like natural phenomenons and abstract ideas, aren't patentable and that the limitation of the patentable field is essential for innovation.

    French presidential elections 2012 and Free Software : some answers, some non-answers, some don't answer.

    Submitted by jtadeusz on 20 avril, 2012 - 16:17
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    Paris, April 20th, 2012. 9.00. Press release.

    Updated on April 20th, 2012, 14.00.

    Free Software in the 2012 presidential campaign plans

    Submitted by mchauvet on 23 février, 2012 - 23:22
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    Paris, Monday, January 23rd, 2012. Press release.

    Within the context of its Candidats.fr initiative, April calls , a public event "Candidats.fr - Free Software in the presidential and parliamentary campaigns", at La Cantine in Paris, on January 25th 2012, from 18h30 to 22h00 in the presence of representatives of 2012 French presidential election candidates.

    Poster: "How does Free Software work?"

    Submitted by mchauvet on 15 février, 2012 - 23:42
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    April's "Raising Awareness" workgroup published a poster entitled "How does Free Software work?".

    The purpose is to provide a document presenting the "making-of" Free Software, by illustrating the various round-trips between users, developers and the community. The guiding theme of this document was to illustrate the different opportunities of making use of the freedom offered by Free software

    Participation in the protest against SOPA, PIPA and ACTA

    Submitted by fcouchet on 19 janvier, 2012 - 13:16
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    By blacking out his web site l'April participed Wednesday, 18 January 2012 in the protest of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and PROTECT-IP Act (PIPA) discussed in the US Congress, as well as the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), currently debate

    ACTA signed by the Member States of the European Union

    Submitted by jtadeusz on 4 janvier, 2012 - 16:27
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    On December 18th 2011, the Member States of the European Union have signed the ACTA (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement). This signature was a mandatory step towards the adoption of the agreement, but the game is not over: a vote by the European Parliament is necessary for the ratification of the agreement.

    ACTA : April writes to the ITRE and JURI committees of the European Parliament

    Submitted by jtadeusz on 20 décembre, 2011 - 18:32
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    On December 7th, 2011, April sent two letters to ITRE (Industry, Research and Energy) and LIBE (Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs) Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to make them aware about the dangers of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) and to ask them to reject this agreement.

    Members of European Parliament ask Santa Claus for a unitary patent

    Submitted by gsedrati-dinet on 20 décembre, 2011 - 11:27
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    Brussels, Tuesday December 20th, 2011. Press release.

    Members of the Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) of the European Parliament have given a rubber stamp1 on an agreement, negotiated behind close doors2 with the Council, about the introduction of a unitary patent and a unified patent jurisdiction. Unfortunately, today's vote has failed to address major legal issues surrounding this project, which are likely to make the regulation voided by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). Moreover, the architecture of the unitary patent as voted today betrays the withdrawal from European Union (EU) legislators in deciding about EU policy on innovation for the profit of the European Patent Office, a self-governed non-EU agency, which is notably known to favour software patents against the letter and the spirit of European Patent Law.

    Unitary Patent: vote by European Parliament ITRE Committee

    Submitted by gsedrati-dinet on 24 novembre, 2011 - 17:59
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    On November 23rd, 2011 the ITRE (Industry, Research and Energy) Committee of the European Parliament has given its opinion on the unitary patent, by voting in favour of the reports1

    Unitary Patent: the debate will go on in secret

    Submitted by jtadeusz on 22 novembre, 2011 - 19:12
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    On November 22nd, 2011, the Legal Affairs Committee of the European Parliament voted for a mandate, allowing the rapporteurs on the proposal for a unitary patent to pursue negotiations with the Commission and the Council behind closed doors, without any involvement from the rest of the Members of Parliament or any reporting to citizens.

    François Fillon calls for a widespread use of open format in the public administration

    Submitted by mchauvet on 16 novembre, 2011 - 00:01
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    On August 31st 2011, the French Prime Minister François Fillon called on his ministers to ensure the "widespread use of open formats in the public administration", as part of the public administrations' publishing of public data1. April is delighted with this course of action, as it is consitent with the intent of making available public data, and it reminds that Free Software allows the good use of free and open formats.

    April supports the Document Freedom Day

    Submitted by mchauvet on 15 novembre, 2011 - 23:53
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    April celebrates the Document Freedom Day and stresses the importance of truly open formats for digital documents. These formats allow citizens, consumers, governments and companies to use software of their choice while maintaining long term control over their documents and data.
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