MS sock.puppet runs EU directorate says Florian Mueller

Microsoft & the Irish Blamed for EC Decision Not To Restart Software Patent Direc Maureen O'Gara Mar 04 2005 Florian Mueller, Who Mounted the NoSoftwarePatents.com Campaign, Blames Microsoft.

The European Commission has rebuffed a move, backed by the European Parliament, to water down the infamous software patents directive that has been wending its way through the system since last May.

If it goes into effect, the controversial directive would give the European Union the same kind of software patent system as the US has.

Florian Mueller, who mounted the NoSoftwarePatents.com campaign, blames Microsoft.

On his web site, Mueller says EU Commissioner Charlie McCreevy "may be more interested in what is good for Microsoft than for Europe as a whole."

.. "The country that has so far pushed hardest for software patents is Ireland. During the Irish presidency of the European Union in the first half of 2004, the EU Council reached a 'political agreement' on a software patent directive under circumstances that were questionable."

Mueller suggests that McCreevy is in bed with Microsoft because "Microsoft is Ireland's largest taxpayer since the company supplies the entire EU out of its facility in Dublin where it has a 'tax haven'" ..

"Microsoft's push for EU software patents," Mueller says, "drew major attention recently after a leading Danish financial newspaper quoted Microsoft Denmark's chief lobbyist who said that Bill Gates had threatened the Danish government with killing 800 jobs unless the EU were to legalize software patents ..

Needless to say, Mueller condemns the EC's no-restart decision in the strongest possible terms. "A wannabe Napoleon who heads the Commission and a Microsoft puppet that runs the DG (directorate general) in charge," he says, "have decided to negate democracy ..