[Ecommerce] Award nominations for anti-patent campaigners

[Michelle Childs]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/09/26/award_nominations/

Award nominations for anti-patent campaigners
More exciting than Pop Idol
By Lucy Sherriff
Published Monday 26th September 2005 09:43 GMT

Florian Mueller, best known to Register readers as one of the leaders of
the campaign against the European software patent directive, has been
nominated for the European of the Year award, run by the magazine European
Voice.

Mueller, who founded the campaign group NoSoftwarePatents, is nominated in
two categories: "Campaigner of the Year" and "European of the Year". He
says he is honoured by the nomination.

Michel Rocard, the European Parliament's rapporteur on the software patent
directive, is also being recognised. He has been nominated for the title
"MEP of the Year".

In a statement, Mueller said: "I really owe this to all activists and
citizens who supported our cause, especially to the FFII [Foundation for a
Free Information Infrastructure]."

Opponents of the proposed European directive on software patents, or
computer implemented inventions as it was formally known, were concerned
that the law would widen too far the scope of what is considered
patentable.

In July, after a lengthy and often highly-charged debate, MEPs voted
648-14 (with 18 abstentions) against the directive, effectively killing it
for the time being. Some MEPs have called for the Commission to draft a
new proposal, but others would like the parliament's rejection to be the
final word on the subject.

Feel like voting for Rocard and Mueller? Point your browser here and tick
some boxes.(http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/09/26/award_nominations/)
The results will be announced towards the end of November 2005. =AE



--
Michelle Childs -Head of European Affairs
Consumer Project on Technology in London
24, Highbury Crescent, London, N5 1RX,UK.
Tel:+44(0)207 226 6663 ex 252.
Mob:+44(0)790 386 4642. Fax: +44(0)207 354 0607
http://www.cptech.org

Consumer Project on Technology in Washington, DC
PO Box 19367, Washington, DC 20036, USA
Tel.:  1.202.387.8030, fax: 1.202.234.5176

Consumer Project on Technology in Geneva
1 Route des  Morillons, CP 2100, 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 791 6727