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1223288115|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z — ACTA and other monsters discussed behind Council closed doors: The Council is discussing measures to curb infringements of patented progress bars and others counterfeited shoes. ACTA and other monsters are discussed behind Council closed doors. (Comments: 0)

1222166736|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z — Urgent reform of the European Law making process needed?: I am following the Telecom Package amendments fiasco, here are some ideas for reforming the process of adoption of the laws in Europe, without any need to change the treaties. (Comments: 0)

1222159608|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z — Microsoft platform lobbies against European Parliament resolution on Open Source software: Microsoft lobby plafform "Voices for Innovation", which is managed by APCO (a well-known lobby firm in Brussels of which Microsoft is a client), has sent an alert to their corporate members asking them to lobby against a parliamentary resolution led by Rocard-Cotigny-Geremek-Geremek, which is asking to migrate the European Parliament systems to FLOSS, and to give some funds for R&D of FLOSS in Europe. (Comments: 2)

1221670781|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z — European Parliament TV for customers of American companies only?: The European Parliament has launched the European Parliament TV, so that people can partially see what they are doing. The video streaming seems to be for customers of an American company only. (Comments: 0)

1220621391|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z — Displaying the price of Microsoft Windows to be decided by the ECJ?: Most laptops are sold without the price of Microsoft Windows displayed before the consumer buys it. This is an issue if you want to use another piece of software on your laptop, such another version of Microsoft Windows, or Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD or OpenSolaris. There are 2 decisions (Cases C-261/07 and C-299/07) pending at the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on this issue. (Comments: 0)

1220445227|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z — EDPS confirms the possibility of a 'Soviet Internet': EDPS, the European Data Protection Supervisor, points out in its analysis of the Harbour report that amendment 81 gives the possibility of a 'Soviet Internet', where National Regulatory Authorities could impose technological mandates, such as mandatory TPM chips to connect to the internet. (Comments: 0)

1219943997|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z — World Day Against Software Patents (24 Sep 2008): You want to get your software association, software company, software consultancy, software project involved in the 24 September World Day Against Software Patents and are able to speak in the name of your organisation? Please give us your contact data below. Your organisation gets the opportunity to be listed as a supporter for the announcement of the World Day Against Software Patents. (Comments: 1)

1218830465|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z — Subprime Patents: Many patents work in the same way that subprime mortgages and all its derivatives. They create false assets and so false economies that finally develop in important economical crisis. But in the case of patents it is worse indeed, because every patent is potentially a monopoly and a block to the free market. (Comments: 0)

1218664266|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z — EPO gets Google style search: The EPO will introduce full text search for patents this year. (Comments: 0)

1218210952|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z — Software patents on the way to be legalised in India: A comment on a blog tell us that software patents are on a way to be legalised in India. Microsoft, Infosys, Symantec and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) (nice name :-)) were pushing for software patents at a recent meeting at the Indian Patent Office in Mumbai. RedHat was "shot down" at the meeting. (Comments: 1)

1217171711|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z — EPO says the term "software" is ambiguous and prefers to use tautology for more clarity: EPO says the term "software" is ambiguous, and prefers to use tautology for more clarity. Maybe the European Patent Office has a different dictionary than I have. (Comments: 0)

1216275169|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z — Patent trolls start on the open source sector: Why go to the effort of developing new software when you can use patents to extort other companies? A story about FireStar Software, which has not updated its software since 2003, preferring to rely on lawyers rather than programmers, to assure its income... (Comments: 0)