Oh glorious day!¶

Yes! I've just removed the banner protesting against software patents. It is not needed anymore, as the European parliament rejected it with an enormeous majority.

Apart from the issue itself, it is also a well-deserved slap on the wrist for many government ministers/secretaries of state and for the European commission. Several ministers were ordered by their national parliaments to oppose the law, but just uttered a small word of protest and voted in favour of it anyway... In the Netherlands, the minister got two or three motions passed to the effect, but still managed to say/lie with a straight face that he's done everything he was ordered despite voting in favour...

Ah well. All's well that ends well. And this ended well as the software patents ended up drowned at the bottom of the well.