Slashdot Mirror

drseuk writes "The UK government is holding a meeting to discuss the proposed EU Computer Implemented Inventions Directive (a.k.a. Software Patents) on 14th December. Lord Sainsbury (Science Minister), MPs and invited members of the public (including myself) will be present. An hour has been set aside for questions and answers, so this is a golden opportunity to raise our concerns. I'd value input on good questions to raise. Here is the Patent Office's FAQ on the subject and an example of a UK patent recently granted to ARM Ltd. for 'Simulation of Data Processing Apparatus.' Do you agree that this patent should have been awarded?"

drseuk writes "The UK government is holding a meeting to discuss the proposed EU Computer Implemented Inventions Directive (a.k.a. Software Patents) on 14th December. Lord Sainsbury (Science Minister), MPs and invited members of the public (including myself) will be present. An hour has been set aside for questions and answers, so this is a golden opportunity to raise our concerns. I'd value input on good questions to raise. Here is the Patent Office's FAQ on the subject and an example of a UK patent recently granted to ARM Ltd. for 'Simulation of Data Processing Apparatus.' Do you agree that this patent should have been awarded?"

pdh11 writes "The Register today details the introduction of a new UK law that makes 'communication to the public' of copyright material a criminal, not civil, offence; this means that, whether done deliberately or not, allowing a copyright infringer to copy something from your machine becomes illegal. Even if you morally equate copyright infringement with theft, this is like prosecuting me as an accessory to theft because I left my front door unlocked. How has this, or the EU directive it implements, become law without even debate, let alone outcry?"

effectus writes "The UK Patent Office delays their implementation of the EU Copyright Directive (2001/29/EC) following higher-than-expected replies to the flawed consultation document. Here is their progress report."

effectus writes "The UK Patent Office delays their implementation of the EU Copyright Directive (2001/29/EC) following higher-than-expected replies to the flawed consultation document. Here is their progress report."

effectus writes "The UK Patent Office delays their implementation of the EU Copyright Directive (2001/29/EC) following higher-than-expected replies to the flawed consultation document. Here is their progress report."

jonerik writes "Want to patent a moustache protector? Or perhaps you've hit upon the idea of improving chickens' lives by giving them eyeglasses. Well, don't bother - they've already been invented. The BBC has this piece today on the bizarre ideas that have trickled into the U.K. Patent Office on a regular basis since it opened 150 years ago this month. Other doozies which are saluted are a rifle fitted into a helmet, 'the recoil [of which] broke a man's neck during early trials' and the parachute hat. According to Steve van Dulken, who oversees the patent archive at the British Library, 'For every 100 applications lodged, I'd say that 10 are a bit whacky.'"

philkerr writes "I've just been informed by the UK Patent Office, below, that the EUCD (European Union Copyright Directive, the equivalent EU legislation to the DMCA) consultation paper has been released. It's important that we give feedback to the UK government that this legislation will have a chilling effect on the software industry." NTK has a few choice words on the subject as well. We've done several articles on the EUCD before, and Alan Cox has been campaigning against it, but it appears that the fix is in: Europe is going to get DMCA-like laws implemented in each nation by the end of 2002.

Master Of Ninja writes "The EU has recently published a directive on software patents. Now the UK patent office wants comments on the draft directive, and specifically how they relate to the conclusions of a UK consultation on software patents. The patent office has set up a page detailing the work of the EU Directive and their stance on it. I also received an email today (Note -- this email below) asking for comments on this topic (which I will post here, as it is not on the website, and as it is in everyone's favourite .doc and .pdf formats).

EUROPEAN COMMISSION PROPOSAL FOR A DIRECTIVE ON THE PATENTABILITY OF COMPUTER-IMPLEMENTED INVENTIONS

In March last year the Government published its conclusions on whether patents should be granted for computer software or ways of doing business, following a consultation exercise. The central conclusion was "to reaffirm the principle that patents are for technological innovations. Software should not be patentable where there is no technological innovation, and technological innovations should not cease to be patentable merely because the innovation lies in software." But an urgent need to clarify the law was identified. Ways of doing business should remain unpatentable. The Government's conclusions are available at http://www.patent.gov.uk/about/consultations/concl usions.htm

Since then the Government has been pressing the case for action at European level, and last month the European Commission published its long-awaited proposal for a directive, available at http://europa.eu.int/comm/internal_market/en/indpr op/02-277.htm

The Patent Office invites views on how far the proposal for a directive meets the objectives set out in the Government's conclusions. In particular, we would welcome comments on:

whether the proposal is clear;
whether it deals clearly and satisfactorily with computer-implemented business methods where the inventive step is in the business method;
the treatment of the form of claim, in relation in particular to claims for programs.

We would welcome comments by Friday 7 June. These should be emailed to policy@patent.gov.uk or posted to:
Robin Webb
Room 3 B 40
The Patent Office
Concept House
Cardiff Road
Newport
NP10 8QQ

The directive, if enforced, will become "law" throughout the EU, so here's a chance to influence how software patents are enforced in an area covering hundreds of millions of people. The comments should be sent to policy@patent.gov.uk as it says in the letter. Hopefully there will be someone wanting to comment on this since the last time the UK government wanted advice on open source software, only 7 comments were put in. Flamers and trollers need not apply."

Master Of Ninja writes "The EU has recently published a directive on software patents. Now the UK patent office wants comments on the draft directive, and specifically how they relate to the conclusions of a UK consultation on software patents. The patent office has set up a page detailing the work of the EU Directive and their stance on it. I also received an email today (Note -- this email below) asking for comments on this topic (which I will post here, as it is not on the website, and as it is in everyone's favourite .doc and .pdf formats).

EUROPEAN COMMISSION PROPOSAL FOR A DIRECTIVE ON THE PATENTABILITY OF COMPUTER-IMPLEMENTED INVENTIONS

In March last year the Government published its conclusions on whether patents should be granted for computer software or ways of doing business, following a consultation exercise. The central conclusion was "to reaffirm the principle that patents are for technological innovations. Software should not be patentable where there is no technological innovation, and technological innovations should not cease to be patentable merely because the innovation lies in software." But an urgent need to clarify the law was identified. Ways of doing business should remain unpatentable. The Government's conclusions are available at http://www.patent.gov.uk/about/consultations/concl usions.htm

Since then the Government has been pressing the case for action at European level, and last month the European Commission published its long-awaited proposal for a directive, available at http://europa.eu.int/comm/internal_market/en/indpr op/02-277.htm

The Patent Office invites views on how far the proposal for a directive meets the objectives set out in the Government's conclusions. In particular, we would welcome comments on:

whether the proposal is clear;
whether it deals clearly and satisfactorily with computer-implemented business methods where the inventive step is in the business method;
the treatment of the form of claim, in relation in particular to claims for programs.

We would welcome comments by Friday 7 June. These should be emailed to policy@patent.gov.uk or posted to:
Robin Webb
Room 3 B 40
The Patent Office
Concept House
Cardiff Road
Newport
NP10 8QQ

The directive, if enforced, will become "law" throughout the EU, so here's a chance to influence how software patents are enforced in an area covering hundreds of millions of people. The comments should be sent to policy@patent.gov.uk as it says in the letter. Hopefully there will be someone wanting to comment on this since the last time the UK government wanted advice on open source software, only 7 comments were put in. Flamers and trollers need not apply."

Master Of Ninja writes "The EU has recently published a directive on software patents. Now the UK patent office wants comments on the draft directive, and specifically how they relate to the conclusions of a UK consultation on software patents. The patent office has set up a page detailing the work of the EU Directive and their stance on it. I also received an email today (Note -- this email below) asking for comments on this topic (which I will post here, as it is not on the website, and as it is in everyone's favourite .doc and .pdf formats).

EUROPEAN COMMISSION PROPOSAL FOR A DIRECTIVE ON THE PATENTABILITY OF COMPUTER-IMPLEMENTED INVENTIONS

In March last year the Government published its conclusions on whether patents should be granted for computer software or ways of doing business, following a consultation exercise. The central conclusion was "to reaffirm the principle that patents are for technological innovations. Software should not be patentable where there is no technological innovation, and technological innovations should not cease to be patentable merely because the innovation lies in software." But an urgent need to clarify the law was identified. Ways of doing business should remain unpatentable. The Government's conclusions are available at http://www.patent.gov.uk/about/consultations/concl usions.htm

Since then the Government has been pressing the case for action at European level, and last month the European Commission published its long-awaited proposal for a directive, available at http://europa.eu.int/comm/internal_market/en/indpr op/02-277.htm

The Patent Office invites views on how far the proposal for a directive meets the objectives set out in the Government's conclusions. In particular, we would welcome comments on:

whether the proposal is clear;
whether it deals clearly and satisfactorily with computer-implemented business methods where the inventive step is in the business method;
the treatment of the form of claim, in relation in particular to claims for programs.

We would welcome comments by Friday 7 June. These should be emailed to policy@patent.gov.uk or posted to:
Robin Webb
Room 3 B 40
The Patent Office
Concept House
Cardiff Road
Newport
NP10 8QQ

The directive, if enforced, will become "law" throughout the EU, so here's a chance to influence how software patents are enforced in an area covering hundreds of millions of people. The comments should be sent to policy@patent.gov.uk as it says in the letter. Hopefully there will be someone wanting to comment on this since the last time the UK government wanted advice on open source software, only 7 comments were put in. Flamers and trollers need not apply."

Master Of Ninja writes "The EU has recently published a directive on software patents. Now the UK patent office wants comments on the draft directive, and specifically how they relate to the conclusions of a UK consultation on software patents. The patent office has set up a page detailing the work of the EU Directive and their stance on it. I also received an email today (Note -- this email below) asking for comments on this topic (which I will post here, as it is not on the website, and as it is in everyone's favourite .doc and .pdf formats).

EUROPEAN COMMISSION PROPOSAL FOR A DIRECTIVE ON THE PATENTABILITY OF COMPUTER-IMPLEMENTED INVENTIONS

In March last year the Government published its conclusions on whether patents should be granted for computer software or ways of doing business, following a consultation exercise. The central conclusion was "to reaffirm the principle that patents are for technological innovations. Software should not be patentable where there is no technological innovation, and technological innovations should not cease to be patentable merely because the innovation lies in software." But an urgent need to clarify the law was identified. Ways of doing business should remain unpatentable. The Government's conclusions are available at http://www.patent.gov.uk/about/consultations/concl usions.htm

Since then the Government has been pressing the case for action at European level, and last month the European Commission published its long-awaited proposal for a directive, available at http://europa.eu.int/comm/internal_market/en/indpr op/02-277.htm

The Patent Office invites views on how far the proposal for a directive meets the objectives set out in the Government's conclusions. In particular, we would welcome comments on:

whether the proposal is clear;
whether it deals clearly and satisfactorily with computer-implemented business methods where the inventive step is in the business method;
the treatment of the form of claim, in relation in particular to claims for programs.

We would welcome comments by Friday 7 June. These should be emailed to policy@patent.gov.uk or posted to:
Robin Webb
Room 3 B 40
The Patent Office
Concept House
Cardiff Road
Newport
NP10 8QQ

The directive, if enforced, will become "law" throughout the EU, so here's a chance to influence how software patents are enforced in an area covering hundreds of millions of people. The comments should be sent to policy@patent.gov.uk as it says in the letter. Hopefully there will be someone wanting to comment on this since the last time the UK government wanted advice on open source software, only 7 comments were put in. Flamers and trollers need not apply."

Master Of Ninja writes "The EU has recently published a directive on software patents. Now the UK patent office wants comments on the draft directive, and specifically how they relate to the conclusions of a UK consultation on software patents. The patent office has set up a page detailing the work of the EU Directive and their stance on it. I also received an email today (Note -- this email below) asking for comments on this topic (which I will post here, as it is not on the website, and as it is in everyone's favourite .doc and .pdf formats).

EUROPEAN COMMISSION PROPOSAL FOR A DIRECTIVE ON THE PATENTABILITY OF COMPUTER-IMPLEMENTED INVENTIONS

In March last year the Government published its conclusions on whether patents should be granted for computer software or ways of doing business, following a consultation exercise. The central conclusion was "to reaffirm the principle that patents are for technological innovations. Software should not be patentable where there is no technological innovation, and technological innovations should not cease to be patentable merely because the innovation lies in software." But an urgent need to clarify the law was identified. Ways of doing business should remain unpatentable. The Government's conclusions are available at http://www.patent.gov.uk/about/consultations/concl usions.htm

Since then the Government has been pressing the case for action at European level, and last month the European Commission published its long-awaited proposal for a directive, available at http://europa.eu.int/comm/internal_market/en/indpr op/02-277.htm

The Patent Office invites views on how far the proposal for a directive meets the objectives set out in the Government's conclusions. In particular, we would welcome comments on:

whether the proposal is clear;
whether it deals clearly and satisfactorily with computer-implemented business methods where the inventive step is in the business method;
the treatment of the form of claim, in relation in particular to claims for programs.

We would welcome comments by Friday 7 June. These should be emailed to policy@patent.gov.uk or posted to:
Robin Webb
Room 3 B 40
The Patent Office
Concept House
Cardiff Road
Newport
NP10 8QQ

The directive, if enforced, will become "law" throughout the EU, so here's a chance to influence how software patents are enforced in an area covering hundreds of millions of people. The comments should be sent to policy@patent.gov.uk as it says in the letter. Hopefully there will be someone wanting to comment on this since the last time the UK government wanted advice on open source software, only 7 comments were put in. Flamers and trollers need not apply."

horza writes: "The conclusion of the UK government consultation on whether software and business methods should be patentable, as they are in the US, are that software and business methods are not patentable. Britain will be pushing for the EU directive to match UK law."

Stefane Fermigier writes: "The Patent Office in the UK has just launched its own consultation exercise to determine whether or not patents should be granted for all computer programs and methods of doing business. This is in parallel with the European Commission's consultation exercise and to EuroLinux's meta-consultation. Says Steve Probert, Deputy Director of the UK Patent Office: "If anyone (particularly interested parties in the UK) has any views on this subject, the Patent Office would be very interested to hear them.""