Mark J. Wielaard

The motion in parlement to change the official Dutch vote against the derictive of the Counsel and for the version of the European Parlement didn’t make it. But we at least got a retraction of the vote in support. This doesn’t mean Europe is saved from patents on algorithms, business methods and ideas yet, but hopefully it is a step in the right direction. Hopefully we can get other European countries to join and support the European Parlement in this matter. I am really glad the Dutch parlement finally forced the minister to do this.

Some information in Dutch Nederland moet steun softwarepatenten intrekken (webwereld) and some background info in English Dutch Parliament forces Minister Brinkhorst to withdraw support for software patents directive (Press release FFII)

I liked how Dieter Van Uytvanck, spokesman of FFII Netherlands, stresses the importance of this decision:

This political signal reaches much further than just The
Netherlands. We hope that other European countries that also have
their doubts about the proposal of the Council will also withdraw
their support, so that the current proposal no longer has a
majority. The historic precedent has been set now.

Let this be a lesson to the lawmakers in Brussels: the European
citizen watches you closely. It is much better to take this into
account from the beginning than to get into trouble later.