Redhat Advertisement in Parliamentary Magazine

-> [ Parlmag 05-07-04 | Patent News ]

An full-page advertisement in Parliamentary Magazine 2 days before the software patent vote, with a picture and a message by Mark Webbink deputy general counsel of Redhat Inc, refuting patent fallacies and recommending the FFII.

Quotes

Patents do not equate to innovation. ... In fact, studies done on this topic have repeatedly found there is no correlation between patents and innovation. ...

As Parliament heads toward its final decision, members should keep the public interest in mind. Keep in mind that software has developed for decades without patent protection. Keep in mind that innovation stems from competition, not patents, and that competition stems from the opportunity to compete. Keep in mind that organizations like the Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure come closer to representing the public interest and individual voters than do large software corporations. If Parliament will remain mindful of these facts, we may yet achieve a worthwhile directive.