Re: EU patent system lobbying next month

["Bob LeChevalier (lojbab)" <lojbab@lojban.org>]

At 10:54 AM 12/3/99 +0100, PILCH Hartmut wrote:
>lojbab answered:
> > I think the problem is that other than you, rather too few people have any
> > idea what is involved, and it seems rather quixotic to "promote it".  Also
> > most of us are spare timers, so that "promoting" something, which sounds
> > like a big job, is beyond our capabilities.
>
>Depending on your capabilities, you could
>- place a link from www.lojban.org to swpat.ffii.org/lojban/

under consideration as part of the Web page revision in progress (but it is 
Xmas time so my time is limited)

>- write up additional documents to argue the case for using a Logical
>   Language in patent specifications

I can't imagine being able to write something on this better than you can.

> > Signing a petition on patents
> > sounded like meaningless support when none of us actually do any work with
> > patents;
>
>That's like saying "Signing a petition on civil liberties is meaningless
>when none of us is actually a lawyer".

I think most Americans think that signing a petition on anything is 
meaningless.  We are  taught more or less that policy is affected either by 
ballot or by campaign contribution.  Some people of course think that 
political demonstrations have an effect too (e.g. Seattle), but that hasn't 
been too popular an option in 30 years.

(Further discussion on this topic (how to influence policies) in Lojban 
might attract those who have been discussing the Seattle events)

>Patents are binding law that everybody is concerned with.

Understood that they affect everyone, but most people are not "concerned" 
(meaning they consider it something in the background that is to be put up 
with, however the powers-that-be arrange them.

> > why should they care that a bunch of people that have nothing to
> > do with patent law signed the petition.  A couple of lawyers in
> > intellectual property would seem more valuable than 100 random
> > Lojbanists.
>
>IP Lawyers will usually only sign petitions for the expansion of IP law to
>more domains, so as to create more litigation.
>
>So I would say, on the contrary, a couple of citiziens count more than 100
>IP lawyers.

Only if anyone reads the petition.  People might pay attention to someone 
they know who is making a campaign contribution, over 100 people who they 
never heard of who aren't.

>Currently, in the IP law system there is no division of powers.
>Legislation, Jurisidiction and Execution are all in the hands of the same
>people.  It is time to get citiziens in there as a counter-balance.

And the people who are going to decide this issue are those same people who 
have no interest in letting citizens into the loop (not that Americans are 
citizens in Europe, anyway).

Sorry if I sound cynical.  Maybe I'm just tired.  I really would like your 
efforts to get somewhere, but too often it sounds so 
hopeless.  Esperantists and Interlinguists have been lobbying the EU for 
years and have gotten nowhere.

lojbab
----
lojbab                     ***NOTE NEW ADDRESS***           lojbab@lojban.org
Bob LeChevalier, President, The Logical Language Group, Inc.
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