01.11.10
FFII: EU ‘Trade’ Agreement an Attack on Free Software Developers
Summary: FFII identifies an attempt to inject dirty policy laundry using a treaty with Korea
THE Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure (FFII) has just released a statement which can be summarised as follows.
The Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure (FFII) perceives the free trade agreement of the EU with Korea as a massive competitive disadvantage to the EU and a danger to software developers, free software projects and small and mid-sized companies.
This seems like quite an urgent matter and the full press release is appended below. █
FFII calls to remove IP chapter from EU-Korea free trade agreement
Brussels, 10 January 2010 — The Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure (FFII) calls upon the EU Parliament and member states to remove the intellectual property rights chapter from the EU – Korea Free Trade Agreement. According to the FFII analysis, the free trade agreement is a threat to software companies, companies that use software, and free software projects; this undermines innovation, competitiveness and legal certainty.
In October 2009, after more than two years of secret negotiations, the EU and the Republic of Korea initialed their free trade agreement. The agreement awaits ratification by the EU Parliament and member states.
The free trade agreement contains strong measures against patent infringements. It provides injunctions, high damages, seizures, destruction of production materials and removal of online software repositories. A suspicion may be enough for seizures and injunctions. An allegation may be enough to freeze assets.
“A suspicion may be enough for seizures and injunctions. An allegation may be enough to freeze assets.”FFII analyst Ante Wessels comments: “These strong measures may be justified against hard core counterfeiters. They are not justified against software developers. Software patents are so broad in scope, doubtful in validity, and so numerous that unintentional infringement is unavoidable in the normal course of business. Therefore, competitors and patent trolls can always find a stick to hit software companies, companies that use software and free software projects. The whole sector is at risk.”
The free trade agreement also contains border measures against patent infringements. Ante Wessels: “With the numerous software patents out there, all software products and all products containing software may infringe patents. An allegation is enough to have them seized at the border. Then they stay seized until a civil court case made clear whether a patent was infringed or not. This gives competitors and patent trolls enormous power – how many small and medium enterprises, and free software projects, have the money to defend against this? It is the contrary of stimulating free trade.”
The free trade agreement is based on existing EU legislation. “Exporting EU-style enforcement legislation to foreign trading partners is an (un)official goal of EU policy”, professor Annette Kur, Max Planck Institute Munich, remarked in a presentation in December. She added: “If and where legislation is (partly) flawed, export is no recommendable option.”
The severe consequences of flawed enforcement legislation were on display in the recent EU seizures of life saving medicine meant for developing countries. After these seizures became known, the Dutch Minister for Developmental Aid, Bert Koenders, said that he wants to change the EU rules on the enforcement of intellectual property rights, and that he would even like to violate these rules.
Ante Wessels comments: “The seizures of life saving medicine and the treatment of software developers as hard core counterfeiters are two consequences of flawed EU legislation. Europe should be well aware that if we export this flawed legislation, the agreement will be binding. We will not be able to repair our own legislation anymore.”
Links
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Presentation professor Annette Kur, Max Planck Institute Munich
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EU seizures of life saving medicine meant for developing countries
Contact
Ante Wessels
+ 31 6 100 99 063
ante@ffii.org
(Dutch/English)
Benjamin Henrion
FFII Brussels
+32-2-414 84 03
+32-484-566109
bhenrion@ffii.org
(French/English)
About the FFII
The FFII is a not-for-profit association active in over fifty countries, dedicated to the development of information goods for the public benefit, based on copyright, free competition, and open standards. More than 1000 members, 3,500 companies and 100,000 supporters have entrusted the FFII to act as their voice in public policy questions concerning exclusion rights in data processing.
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