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| EU MEP Says Bill Gates Influenced No Restart Decision |
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Thursday, March 03 2005 @ 03:59 PM EST
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NoSoftwarePatents.com has an interesting tidbit on the EU Commission's refusal to grant the EU Parliament's request for a restart on the software patents directive. MEP Dr. Maria Berger, says Bill Gates is making enemies in the EU Parliament because, in her view, the EU Commission "acted in collusion with Microsoft" on the decision: Brussels (03 March 2005). A high-profile MEP has said that the European Commission acted in collusion with Microsoft when earlier this week it declined the European Parliament's request for a restart of the legislative process concerning the software patent directive. Dr. Maria Berger, the leader of the Austrian social democratic delegation in the EP and the coordinator of the second-largest parliamentary group (PSE) in the Legal Affairs Committee, said in a press release that "the Commission might end up paying dearly for its rash collusion with Microsoft". In her opinion, the Commission adopted the position of Microsoft founder Bill Gates on the subject "without further thought". Gates had visited the Commission and the EP in February.
Dr. Berger describes the letter of the president of the Commission (José Manuel Barroso) to the president of the EP (Josep Borrell), in which a restart of the process is declined, as "yet another provocation of the parliament". She concludes that Barroso "apparently loves to play high-stakes poker with the EP", and recalls that he already suffered his first defeat with that approach last year when he had to withdraw his list of proposed commissioners because the EP would otherwise have withheld its approval. The way she sees the present situation, Barroso may now face another defeat. Dr. Berger concludes saying that Bill Gates, who recently traveled Europe to pressure politicians toward a directive to his liking, "is at the moment making himself ever more enemies in the EP".
The original German-language press release of Dr. Maria Berger MEP is available on the Internet at this address:
http://www.spe.at/berger/3/a.html#pm19 Of course, it's not over until it's over. JeR, one of Groklaw's translators, has been kind enough to do an inline translation of her press release from German to English.
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21.2 Berger: Bill Gates schafft sich im EU-Parlament immer neue Gegner
21.2 Berger: Bill Gates creates more and more enemies in the EU Parliament
Auseinandersetzung um Software-Patente spitzt sich zu
Discussion about software patents amplifies
Von einem "unüberlegten Schulterschluss mit Microsoft, der die EU-Kommission noch teuer zu stehen kommen könnte", spricht Maria Berger, SPÖ-Delegationsleiterin im Europäischen Parlament und SPE-Koordinatorin im Rechtsausschuss, angesichts der jüngsten Entwicklungen in Sachen Softwarepatente. In der Auseinandersetzung um den von Bill Gates gewünschten Schutz für Software-Produkte habe sich die EU-Kommission dazu hinreißen lassen, unüberlegt die Position des US-amerikanischen Milliardärs einzunehmen.
An "ill-considered settlement with Microsoft, that will cost the EU Commision dearly," says Maria Berger, SPÖ delegate in the European Parliament and SPE Coordinator on the Legal Affairs Committee about the latest developments around software patents. In the debate about the protection for software products Bill Gates desires, the EU Commission has led itself to prematurely side with the US American billionaire.
Berger: "Kommissionspräsident José Manuel Barroso hat in einem Brief an EU-Parlamentspräsident Josep Borrell einen Neustart des Verfahrens zur Softwarepatent-Richtlinie abgelehnt. Genau dies hatte das EU-Parlament aber mit großer Mehrheit gefordert." Deshalb, so Berger, auf deren Antrag im Rechtsausschuss der Neustart-Prozess Anfang Februar in Gang gebracht wurde, sei dieses Schreiben eine neuerliche Provokation der europäischen Volksvertretung. Barroso liebe es offenbar, gegenüber dem EU-Parlament hoch zu pokern. Das habe ihm aber im letzten Jahr bei der Bestellung der EU-Kommission bereits seine erste Niederlage beschert.
Berger: "President of the Commission José Manuel Barroso has turned down the restart of the procedure about the software patent guideline in a letter to President of the EU Parliament Josep Borrell, while that is exactly what a large majority in the EU Parliament had called for. That is why, according to Berger, who moved the Legal Affairs Committee to restart the process in early February, this letter constitutes yet another provocation of European democray. Barroso obviously enjoys bidding up to the EU Parliament. That, however, has already led to his earlier defeat last year with the order by the EU Commission.
Berger abschließend: "So wie sich die Situation derzeit darstellt, könnte Barroso nun noch einmal in die selbe Situation geraten. Und auch Bill Gates, der unlängst sogar selbst in Europa unterwegs war, um Druck für eine Richtlinie in seinem Sinn zu machen, schafft sich im Moment immer mehr Gegner im EU-Parlament."
Berger in closing: "The way the situation is right now, Barroso could now land himself in the same situation again. And Bill Gates as well, who recently traveled through Europe to push for a guideline in his favour, is currently creating more and more enemies within the EU Parliament."
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| Authored by: Woad_Warrior on Thursday, March 03 2005 @ 04:03 PM EST |
| you know the drill. :-) [ Reply to This | # ]
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| Authored by: Woad_Warrior on Thursday, March 03 2005 @ 04:06 PM EST |
For all your unrelated (to this thread), comments, links (use proper html tags
please), and other assorted stuff.[ Reply to This | # ]
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| Authored by: meat straw on Thursday, March 03 2005 @ 04:06 PM EST |
| I have already included this article ("Court
stays $521m Microsoft fine") in another thread, but I think it's better
suited being here. Sorry for the repeat. [ Reply to This | # ]
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| Authored by: blacklight on Thursday, March 03 2005 @ 04:08 PM EST |
Dr. Berger describes the letter of the president of the Commission (José Manuel
Barroso) to the president of the EP (Josep Borrell), in which a restart of the
process is declined, as "yet another provocation of the parliament".
Memo to Jose Manuel Barroso: the next time you speak, do recall the Spanish
proverb "The open mouth draws flies".[ Reply to This | # ]
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| Authored by: Woad_Warrior on Thursday, March 03 2005 @ 04:12 PM EST |
Gee, and here I thought us Americans held the monopoly on having a democratic
government with polititions that blithely ignore the wishes of their
constituents. Oh wait, they only pay attention to the ones with lots of money.
Or am I just being cynical?[ Reply to This | # ]
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| Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, March 03 2005 @ 04:14 PM EST |
"And Bill Gates as well, who recently traveled through Europe to push for a
guideline in his favour, is currently creating more and more enemies within the
EU Parliament."
Wow! That's all M$ needs! *More* enemies![ Reply to This | # ]
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- More enemies - Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, March 03 2005 @ 04:23 PM EST
- Manipulation - Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, March 03 2005 @ 04:59 PM EST
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| Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, March 03 2005 @ 04:24 PM EST |
they've got billions of dollars in the bank and loads more coming in, yet they
still want to skew things even more in their favour to prevent competition...[ Reply to This | # ]
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| Authored by: sjgibbs on Thursday, March 03 2005 @ 04:24 PM EST |
I'd like to take this opportunity to condemn the actions of the royal household
in granting Mr Gates an honourary knighthood.
I think it is particularly inappropriate, given his company's second monopoly
conviction, to cite the economic impact of MS technology as part of the
reasoning behind the award.
I would like to see this honour recinded and given to somebody who deserves it.
SJG, Brit.[ Reply to This | # ]
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- Royals - Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, March 03 2005 @ 04:45 PM EST
- Knighthood - Authored by: jmc on Thursday, March 03 2005 @ 05:01 PM EST
- Knighthood - Authored by: prayforwind on Thursday, March 03 2005 @ 05:28 PM EST
- Knighthood - Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, March 03 2005 @ 07:51 PM EST
- Knighthood - Authored by: ine on Thursday, March 03 2005 @ 05:30 PM EST
- Groklaw helped: Dutch parliament now opposes the Directive a little more - Authored by: Saruman! on Thursday, March 03 2005 @ 05:33 PM EST
- Next thing you know... - Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, March 03 2005 @ 05:58 PM EST
- Knighthood - Authored by: John Hasler on Thursday, March 03 2005 @ 06:15 PM EST
- I see, thanks! (n/t) - Authored by: sjgibbs on Thursday, March 03 2005 @ 07:06 PM EST
- Knighthood - Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, March 03 2005 @ 07:48 PM EST
- The PM - Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, March 03 2005 @ 08:23 PM EST
- Give the 'hood to Linus T. - Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, March 04 2005 @ 12:21 AM EST
- Knighthood - Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, March 04 2005 @ 02:28 AM EST
- Knighthood - Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, March 04 2005 @ 07:14 AM EST
- Knighthood - Authored by: GreatDrok on Friday, March 04 2005 @ 07:59 AM EST
- Knighthood - Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, March 04 2005 @ 08:23 AM EST
- Knighthood - Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, March 04 2005 @ 08:43 AM EST
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| Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, March 03 2005 @ 05:06 PM EST |
This is also interesting:
"Why Ireland is economically dependent upon Microsoft"
http://www.nosoftwarepatents.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=397
"Statistics show that about 50% of all corporation taxes paid in Ireland
are paid by the Irish subsidiaries of multinationals that use Ireland as their
gateway to the EU. There are estimates that even go way beyond 50%.
Microsoft alone generated about 10% of the total Irish corporation tax revenue a
few years ago! Even in its home country, Microsoft is light years away from that
level."
This really questions the independence of commissioner McGreevy.
[ Reply to This | # ]
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| Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, March 03 2005 @ 05:09 PM EST |
| Put into historical context, I am reminded the last time a "European" Parliament
choose to act, as the people's gaurdian against a cruel and unresponsive
authority. Of course, I am referring to the "great parliament" of 1628, and the
English civil war that followed soon thereafter which ended with the ever
delightful idea, which, in fact, the English had invented, and the French copied
a century or so later, of decapitating a monarch.
However, I suspect this
coming "war" will be fought by today's roundheads far differently than that
bloody spectacle. Perhaps with lawyers and courtrooms, rather than armies of
muscketmen. Non the less, the outcome will be of no less importance, for it
will determine whether the future of Europe's union will become a democratic one
where personal freedoms remain protected or nothing more than an oligarchy of
corporate interests.
[ Reply to This | # ]
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| Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, March 03 2005 @ 06:14 PM EST |
| BILL GATES. YOU ARE WON'T GET OUT OF THIS ONE. YOU ARE CAUGHT RED-HANDED! [ Reply to This | # ]
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| Authored by: mlwmohawk on Thursday, March 03 2005 @ 06:58 PM EST |
Bill Gates is a criminal. He and his company have held back innovation for at
least a decade. This robber baron must be stopped!!!
The fact that a "Queen" Knighted him just goes to prove what many
brits are saying, its time for the royals to go. Privilage bestows privilage,
and the comman man is always harmed.
It is time for a technoligical and economical bastille day.[ Reply to This | # ]
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| Authored by: amhagp on Thursday, March 03 2005 @ 07:26 PM EST |
With such blatant manipulation of what is supposed to be a democratic process,
and now so much of this manipulation out in the open.....ISN'T THERE ANYTHING
THAT CAN BE DONE TO DE-RAIL THIS TRAVESTY ??
How is it that if you try to play by the rules you end up being the one that
gets suckered while the one/s with the most money/power get to dictate the
situation and now even rub it in your face without even an ounce of guilt in
their veins!
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| Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, March 04 2005 @ 04:54 AM EST |
Is the way the patent system has been constructed and used in the US actually
turning it into nothing more than a modern taxation system for a modern day
empire?
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| Authored by: Bas Burger on Friday, March 04 2005 @ 08:57 AM EST |
At this moment Europe tries to blur important issues with a campain for a
socalled constitution.
This constitution will be no more than a fake piece of paper which rights
granted in there will be blatantly undermined with how the real power
(im)balance shows in reality.
First way less power to the comission and more to the parliament, then I will
think about voting in favor for a constitution.
And don't come to me that this piece of worthless paper is meant to balance that
power, it's a lie, first correct the power balance, then make a constitution,
not the other way around.
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| Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, March 04 2005 @ 10:57 AM EST |
| FFII has put out a press
release that says the Danish Parliament forces their government to block
adoption of the directive as an A-item in the Council. NL and Poland have
already said they will support such an initiative if any other country initiates
it.
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