Europe Starts Debate On Patents

Anonymous Coward writes "According to this paper on Wired News, a tremendous battle between pro- and anti-patents in starting this week in Europe. Countries that seem to be ready to vote for software patents include Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Switzerland, Greece, Italy, Lichtenstein, Monaco and the Netherlands, and countries opposing them are currently: Denmark, Germany, Spain, France, Luxembourg, Portugal, Sweden and the U.K."

Comments

Petition against Software Patents in Europe

[Mop]

If you:

• are concerned by the current plans to legalize software patents in Europe, considering their damaging effect on innovation and competition
• are concerned by the possible use of software patents to patent business methods, education methods, health methods, etc
• are concerned by the current track record of abuses from the European Patent Office, especially by their tendency to abuse their judicial power to extend the scope of patentability

Please, go and sign the Petition for a Software Patent Free Europe

patent lawyers...

[tewwetruggur]

I know a couple of patent lawyers... and from what I've seen - they are probably some of the few partent attorneys that have a clue - they'll flat out tell you that if your patent is weak, don't waste their time, or yours for that matter.

I get to see all sorts of patents roll across my desk (its part of the background research for what it is that I do - which is not computer related) - and I'll tell ya - shitty patents are everywhere... not just in software. I think the patent office needs a good beating - their stance seem to be "pass 'em all and make the companies / lawyers sort out the real details". Well, gee - thanks for doing NOTHING. Such a useful organization...