This is the biggest software problem of them all - software patents. If something isn't done, then there may be real problems. Please read:
http://www.nosoftwarepatents.com/ban...anner_en_1.gif
The end draws near...
Multimedia is a
patent minefield .
All important techniques, formats and standards are covered by broad
and trivial patents that harm progress and make independent
implementations hard or impossible. Thus MPlayer and the
other free software multimedia players, like
xine,
VLC,
avifile,
gstreamer
and especially
FFmpeg, which
provides the framework all of the above players use, are seriously
threatened by software patents. Already companies are succeeding
at driving multimedia libraries out of existence with
legal threats.
The Council of the European Union has adopted its so-called
"Common Position" on software patents,
violating democratic rules and procedures
to the sole benefit of big multinational (mostly non-European)
corporations and Ireland and to the detriment of small and medium
sized businesses (which comprise the majority of the European
software industry) and free software.
If the European Parliament fails to rally an absolute majority (367)
of all members of the European Parliament - not just an absolute
majority of the attending members - for substantial amendments in
July, then the Council's directive will become law and the hunting
season for US-style software patent enforcement in Europe will begin.
Such a majority is hard to come by in a parliament with a low
attendance level.
But not all is lost yet as long as you decide it is
time to make a difference and take action. This is our last opportunity
to fend off software patents worldwide, there will be no second chance
for the foreseeable future.
Signing petitions will not
suffice. Contact your local EU representatives and educate them why
software patents are a bad idea in the first place
and why they must attend that parliament session to
vote against them. Make it clear that they need to stop the
machinations of the Council of the European Union
and reaffirm the power of the EU parliament, the only democratically
elected EU institution.
For in-depth information and starting points to get active visit the
NO Software Patents!
campaign, the
software patent page of the FFII and
NoSoftwarePatents.com.
Wish us luck, we will need it.
