Blog posts tagged "europe" – 3 posts found:

It's been less than two days since horrific terrorist attacks took place in the heart of Paris. Just a day before that, IS also killed 40 people in Beirut in a particularly vicious attack. The entire world is in an uproar about Paris. Few people care about Beirut. How come? Why do the events in France overshadow those in Lebanon?

Apparently, today, the Russian Foreign Ministry published a report on its website about human rights in the European Union, calling the EU's system "ineffective and flawed" and this 153 page document also devotes 9 pages to my home country of The Netherlands. Although 2013 was a year in which we supposedly celebrated 400 years of diplomatic relations between the Dutch and Russian peoples, that celebration had more than a few hiccups along the way. The timing of this report is convenient, as Russia is under a deluge of criticism about its human rights situation, particularly its recent anti-gay laws. With much of this criticism being directed towards Russia's hosting of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, there is no doubt that this report being published now is not a coincidence. How should we react?

The EU currently does not recognise software patents. They are being granted, but (as of yet) not legally enforceable. There is really no need for them either, as software is already protected through copyright laws. There is a petition designed to let our European legislators know we do not want to make the mistakes the USA have made in adopting software patents. I have signed the petition and would encourage you to do the same. Here's why.