Ian Hudghton is a British SNP Member of the European Parliament, representing Scotland

Issues

Software Patents

Ian Hudghton MEP welcomes rejection of software patents 6 July 2005

"The European Parliament's decision to reject the proposals for software patents will be welcomed across Scotland and the EU. My mailbag has been full in recent months with letters from concerned constituents who had real reasons to fear the Commission's proposals. These people can now feel relief that common sense has prevailed."

"Today's vote was a victory for European democracy. The Commission had sought to ignore the European Parliament's concerns - and paid the heaviest price with their proposals being rejected in their entirety. The European Parliament has stood strong against the Commission and the multinational computer conglomerates - and have won the day.:

"Tributes must go to the countless individuals and small companies who have maintained the pressure throughout the lengthy debate. I also pay tribute to my former parliamentary colleague Prof Neil MacCormick who campaigned tirelessly on this issue. The path is now clear for Europe's innovative programming community to continue from strength to strength in the years to come."

Online Privacy

Mr. Hudghton has written that "the UK Government should move swiftly to protect individual privacy" and has criticised the UK Government for "[failing] to outlaw the interception of internet based communications where the consumer has not given prior specific consent."[1]

Links

News

2005-07-06 - SNP Press Release - SNP welcomes rejection of software patents: Author: Ian Hudghton MEP; Summary: Following the Eurooean Parliament's rejection of Software Patents this morning [Wednesday] Ian Hudghton MEP has described the vote as 'A victory for European democracy.' SNP European spokesperson Ian Hudghton MEP has today (Wednesday) welcomed a European Parliament vote to reject proposals to introduce EU- wide software patents. The SNP has spent the last four years campaigning against the Commission's proposals which would have had dire consequences on many computer programmers and technological companies across Scotland and throughout Europe. Commenting after the vote, Mr Hudghton said: "The European Parliament's decision to reject the proposals for software patents will be welcomed across Scotland and the EU. My mailbag has been full in recent months with letters from concerned constituents who had real reasons to fear the Commission's proposals. These people can now feel relief that common sense has prevailed. "Today's vote was a victory for European democracy. The Commission had sought to ignore the European Parliament's concerns - and paid the heaviest price with their proposals being rejected in their entirety. The European Parliament has stood strong against the Commission and the multinational computer conglomorates - and have won the day. "Tributes must go to the countless individuals and small companies who have maintained the pressure throughout the lengthy debate. I also pay tribute to my former parliamentary colleague Prof Neil MacCormick who campaigned tirelessly on this issue. The path is now clear for Europe's innovative programming community to continue from strength to strength in the years to come."

2005-12-14 - SNP Press Release - SNP MEPS Oppose Intrusive Data Retention Laws: Summary: SNP President Ian Hudghton and fellow MEP Alyn Smith have criticised new data retention measures approved by the European Parliament earlier today as unnecessary and overly intrusive. Both Ian Hudghton and Mr. Smith opposed the plans saying that the UK EU Presidency - represented in Strasbourg by Home Secretary Charles Clarke - had failed to make a convincing case. The new rules cover data including mobile phone records, e-mails, text messages and internet communications and will oblige companies to store the data for anything up to two years. Ian Hudghton commented: "Our parliamentary group has been leading opposition to these proposals and we've been highly critical throughout of what I suspect will turn out to be unwieldy and ineffective measures. "I fear this will prove enormously costly and be of no help in combating terrorism as Charles Clarke has claimed. Instead, this attack on civil liberties could actually be used as propaganda by recruiting sergeants for terror, who have often proved quite adept at outwitting technological constraints." Responding to the vote, Mr Smith said: "This is a disappointment - nobody would disagree that we must leave no stone unturned in the fight against terrorism, but these proposals will not achieve the aim. These new rules as they stand are unnecessary, overly intrusive and I fear will prove very costly indeed. They represent an unwarranted invasion of privacy and the powers conveyed on European governments to spy on their citizens are far too extensive. I find this a deeply disturbing development that has more to with governments spying on people's everyday lives than any meaningful effort to combat crime. "We could have put up with limited legislation covering certain types of phone record for limited periods of time - but the scope of this proposal is so huge that it has turned into an assault on civil liberties and personal freedoms. "I'm disappointed that other MEPs did not join us in opposing these proposals. They're quick enough to talk about respecting civil liberties and the right to privacy when it suits them but when it comes to the crunch they're not willing to stand up and be counted. They will have a lot of explaining to do to their constituents."