This is the letter as sent 2005 01 21
I think it's very important that we stress that as Software / IT Professionals, the adoption of these patents would cripple our ability to innovate. The two comments that struck me most on the FFII text are missing from the above (I hope the dentist trip is responsible). Patents are spun as protecting (blanket term) "The IT Sector"... that ironically means us!
These two points are (and we should, like the FFII) make these two points promenant: 1: "Adoption as an A-item" means "adoption without discussion", not "without vote". There can be no adoption without vote. 2: The Irish Software would be severely damaged by the adoption of the proposal, as it authorises the monopolisation of business methods, algorithms, data structures and process descriptions in the same way as in the USA, without any effective limitation.
Finally, as we know, I think it would be no harm to include a reminder that: 3: The manner in which the proposal is proposed to be passed as an A-item, is in itself, an indicator that the proposal has effects that it's advocates do not want to have discussed. Because of the irreparable damage that this would cause, YOU MUST IN THE INTEREST OF THE INDIGEONOUS SOFTWARE INDUSTRY REJECT THIS PROPOSAL.
#!/Mel
Looks like Malcolm has made some edits to include these points - GlennStrong