Patents

[Richard Rohwer]

Connectionists is probably not an appropriate forum for flaming about
software patents, but I think that many connectionists feel strongly
about it, so I would like to suggest a different forum, especially to
people living in EEC countries.  This is the European League for
Programming Freedom list (contact elpf-request at castle.ed.ac.uk).  This
list is not meant for massive flaming, actually, but is intended for
discussion and coordination of letter-writing and press campaigns.  You
can take positive, useful action even if you can only spare an hour or
two to write a few letters.  Right now this group is mainly working to
soften the implementation by each EEC government of an EEC directive
which threatens to pave the way for "Look and Feel" suits in Europe
similar to those in the US.  Richard Stallman (of GNU fame,
rms at edu.mit.ai.gnu) is an important influence in this campaign.  He
probably can put Americans in touch with similar groups there. 

Richard Rohwer