why don't you take your website off the net...?

... in protest against the software patent legislation inititiative due to be discussed in the european parliament on sept. 1st.? dear webmaster, i am just an ordinary web programmer, but i feel deeply concerned about what is going on these days in the european parliament. i am sure i need not dig deeper into the details, but you will agree with me that these so-called software patents going to be discussed there will be the death of what we got used to call a free internet - and what, in fact, it has been so far. in order to keep the internet, as well as the whole software market, as free as it has been forever, i do persuade you to take part in any actions against the proposal to be discussed in the EP on sept. 1st. as you may know, the majority of the EP's members are so called right-winged, the chance that the current proposal will get its approval is not that small as one might pretend. it may - for quite easily understandable reasons - not be, that knowledge is a single (juridical) person's property! and i am very sure in that you will agree with me. the more i really do wonder why you and your organization do not oppose against that so-called "patent" legislative. so, why don't you just follow the examples, which www.kde.org, www.gnome.org, www.gimp.org and others have set, and take off your website off the net in protest, until the parliamentary discussion has come to a decision? any action must be - as far as i understand the purpose of your project - in your own interest! i would really appreciate if you followed my initiative and took the appropriate steps. yours sincerely martin haase-thomas berlin, germany