The fucking Software Patent Lobby NEVER SLEEPS! A couple of years ago the EU had consultation with small businesses and individuals around Europe. I contributed an opinion representing the views of Runtime (against software patents) as did many others. (I'm pretty sure the *majority* of responses were against.)

The EU parliament voted against.

But the lobbyists never stop. Now they've made some progress, and it seems to be time to go out on the streets and protest


But what this really highlights is the asymmetry in our democracies.

In this kind of representational democracy, a small group of people propose policies to a parliament, and the parliament, as our representatives, can choose to accept or not, on our behalf.

In the British system, there's also a limited amount of time for "private members' bills" where individual representatives can propose things. (I imagine many other parliaments have something similar.)

But the lobbyists, working on the government, those who "propose" motions, they never-stop. Because they didn't get what they want this year, they're back at work, next morning, pushing, insinuating, lunching and whispering into the ears of those proposers.

And there's always some chance, one time, they'll get their way.


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