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EU Amends Software Patent Directive (Suggestions)

jopet writes "The EU has amended its draft proposal for a directive on how to handle patents on "computer-implemented inventions'. Several harsh points have been dropped and clarifications on what is patentable at all have been added. Good to see that protests and petitions can make a difference." YHBT. These are the suggestions from June.

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  1. Some points by sufehmi · · Score: 5, Interesting
    • "...(online) petition can make a difference" ?
      I won't be too sure about that, not when many MEP doesn't (have time to) browse Internet regularly.
      (read Tom Chance's story about his lobbying efforts)

    • It STILL allows software to be patented.

    • Although with many restrictions, including declaring that business method/algorithm to be non-patentable.

    • BUT we have witnessed cases where corporations are able to twist interpretations, and challenge everyone who questioned to go to court.
      Small companies/individuals, which can not afford the cost, will simply admit defeat and comply to whatever the big corporations are demanding them to.

    • So personally, I think we still need to do a lot of real (not virtual) lobbying to ensure that software are not patentable.
      EU have no software-patent legislation now, and to my knowledge, there are no CLEAR cases that justifies this (feel free to enlighten me though)

    Just my 2 pence on the topic.