I copied this article from a web site, ( WeMove.EU ) and find it a bit scary and sinister. The idea that a multinational company can claim ownership of something natural is very serious indeed. What do you think ?
Just last week, we chose the right place to protest against patents on barley and beer: right outside of the building of the European Patent Office, which happened to be on the way to the Oktoberfest, the European get-together of beer lovers.
We showed up with banners in four languages, a big balloon, flags and flyers to demonstrate on the day the patent office would rule on Carlsberg’s and Heineken’s desires to own a regular type of barley - from seed through the brewing process, to the beer itself.
Credit: Falk Heller, argum - activists distribute flyers and flags to beer lovers
Our action showed the strength of our movement: We have collected more than 182,000 signatures from all over Europe to present to the patent office. Together with our partner, no-patents-on-seeds, we gathered activists to demonstrate against multinationals laying claim to what doesn’t belong to them. Our protest was only possible because thousands of us signed the petition, shared it with friends and donated funds in the moment our community needed them.
Credit: Falk Heller, argum - activists distribute flyers and flags to beer lovers
It’s a moment of empowerment when ordinary people on their way to a funfair stop to listen to your arguments, and then join you in protest. People who go to Oktoberfest obviously care a lot about beer, and they took the time to learn about this ridiculous patent threat to many of their favourite brews.
Credit: Falk Heller, argum - Jörg Rohwedder, campaigner from WeMove
Well, did we win? In a small way, we did: The patent originally covered all plants with reduced undesirable flavours. Now the patent is restricted to plants with a specific mutation that can influence the content of these flavours. The European Patent Office significantly decreased the number of types of barley included in the patent.
But unfortunately, the general take-away remains the same: Big corporations can claim ordinary plants as their inventions. They can maximise profits by claiming to own something belonging to nature and to all of us.
But we’re not finished yet. There’s another hearing at the European Patent Office coming, and we’ll be watching the results closely.
Encouraged after a good action, and still hopeful that together all of us can win this struggle,
Mika (Bordeaux), Jörg (Lübeck), Virginia (Madrid), and the whole team at WeMove.EU
PS: If you know anyone who loves beer, please share the petition with them.
WeMove.EU is a citizens’ movement, campaigning for a better Europe; for a European Union committed to social and economic justice, environmental sustainability and citizen-led democracy. We are people from all walks of life, who call Europe our home whether we were born in Europe or elsewhere. To unsubscribe from WeMove.EU, please click here.
WeMove.EU is funded by donations from our community across Europe. Can you chip in with a few euros a month and help make sure we can move fast to win the campaigns that matter to all of us? Donate
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WeMove Europe SCE mbH | Planufer 91 Berlin | www.wemove.eu | Privacy policy
Just last week, we chose the right place to protest against patents on barley and beer: right outside of the building of the European Patent Office, which happened to be on the way to the Oktoberfest, the European get-together of beer lovers.
We showed up with banners in four languages, a big balloon, flags and flyers to demonstrate on the day the patent office would rule on Carlsberg’s and Heineken’s desires to own a regular type of barley - from seed through the brewing process, to the beer itself.
Credit: Falk Heller, argum - activists distribute flyers and flags to beer lovers
Our action showed the strength of our movement: We have collected more than 182,000 signatures from all over Europe to present to the patent office. Together with our partner, no-patents-on-seeds, we gathered activists to demonstrate against multinationals laying claim to what doesn’t belong to them. Our protest was only possible because thousands of us signed the petition, shared it with friends and donated funds in the moment our community needed them.
Credit: Falk Heller, argum - activists distribute flyers and flags to beer lovers
It’s a moment of empowerment when ordinary people on their way to a funfair stop to listen to your arguments, and then join you in protest. People who go to Oktoberfest obviously care a lot about beer, and they took the time to learn about this ridiculous patent threat to many of their favourite brews.
Credit: Falk Heller, argum - Jörg Rohwedder, campaigner from WeMove
Well, did we win? In a small way, we did: The patent originally covered all plants with reduced undesirable flavours. Now the patent is restricted to plants with a specific mutation that can influence the content of these flavours. The European Patent Office significantly decreased the number of types of barley included in the patent.
But unfortunately, the general take-away remains the same: Big corporations can claim ordinary plants as their inventions. They can maximise profits by claiming to own something belonging to nature and to all of us.
But we’re not finished yet. There’s another hearing at the European Patent Office coming, and we’ll be watching the results closely.
Encouraged after a good action, and still hopeful that together all of us can win this struggle,
Mika (Bordeaux), Jörg (Lübeck), Virginia (Madrid), and the whole team at WeMove.EU
PS: If you know anyone who loves beer, please share the petition with them.
WeMove.EU is a citizens’ movement, campaigning for a better Europe; for a European Union committed to social and economic justice, environmental sustainability and citizen-led democracy. We are people from all walks of life, who call Europe our home whether we were born in Europe or elsewhere. To unsubscribe from WeMove.EU, please click here.
WeMove.EU is funded by donations from our community across Europe. Can you chip in with a few euros a month and help make sure we can move fast to win the campaigns that matter to all of us? Donate
Follow on Twitter | Like on Facebook | Subscribe on Youtube
WeMove Europe SCE mbH | Planufer 91 Berlin | www.wemove.eu | Privacy policy
