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EU Software Patents Delayed Again

Lord An writes "It seems the decision about software patents in Europe has been delayed again for at least a week (link in German). Once again we have to thank Poland that the corresponding item was removed from the A-list of the Council of Agriculture and Fisheries. Hopefully this delay will be enough that the opposition vs. the patents will finally get the upper hand." Non-German speakers might find it useful to plug that URL into the Fish.

5 of 159 comments (clear)

  1. What??? no comments yet! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    what's with you guys - hurry it up, I can't RTFA !

  2. From Babel in English by thorpie · · Score: 2, Funny

    The of Luxembourg council presidency explained itself after information from diplomat circles ready to shift the planned official verabschiedung of the disputed position of the Minister committee as the guideline over the patenting bar of "computer-implemented inventions" again around one week. Instead of of the agrarian and fishery advice on Monday in May the point of view fastened under troubles is therefore to be abgenickt on 31 January in the advice for general questions and external relations. From the further delay above all the proponents of a complete restart now nearly for three years of the running legislative procedure in the European Union parliament could profit. Once more made the Polish government pressure on the Luxemburger. Thus the advised point disappeared after information of German Ministry representatives at Friday noon of yesterday of the agenda of the agrarian advice. More than one week delay did not want to grant the council presidency Poland however. In the new entry country in the course of the week the European Union committee of the government had exerted itself seriously for a shift, since the position of Poland was not yet finally co-ordinated to the past advice point of view. The European Hightech branch federation EICTA, to which companies belong such as Microsoft, Nokia, SAP or Siemens, reacted disappointed to the time extension. The "uncertainty" for enterprises will now continue to persist still after the many months of the treatment of the guideline suggestion, was called it with EICTA. The industry needs the extended patent protection for genuine, software using inventions urgently. A speaker of the promotion association for a free Informationelle infrastructure (FFII) welcomed the grace period against it as "positively". Crucial now the further negotiations are in the European parliament to a way out of the festgefahrenen situation according to software patent opponents. In the constant back and forth the advice sees Florian Mueller, Manager of the campaign NoSoftwarepatents.com, an indication for the fact that the Minister committee begs "formally for a restart of the procedure". The delegates would have to accept this "invitation". This applies particularly to prominent union politicians in the European Union parliament, who had stated so far doubts against a new start, said Mueller. They could shift "the mortal blow" as a parliamentary group most powerful with distance now the "inexpressible" advice text. If the Minister committee at the end of should refer January actually publicly a rejecting position, one period up to the beginning of the then following Plenarwoche would remain for the parliamentarians on 21 February for requesting a new beginning. (Stefan Krempl)

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    The memories of a man in his old age are the deeds of a man in his prime - Floyd, Pink
  3. Into the fish? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    No no no, that's not how it works. If you want to make a HHGTTG reference you should do it properly: You don't plug anything in the fish. You plug the fish in your ear, that's how it's done!

    1. Re:Into the fish? by Spad · · Score: 4, Funny

      Only on Slashdot could instructions for the use of a Babel fish be modded Informative.

  4. Re:What is wrong with software patents by sepluv · · Score: 2, Funny

    I have the FSF's kernel (the Hurd) working on my PC; it isn't too unstable.

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    Joe Llywelyn Griffith Blakesley
    [This post is in the public domain (copyright-free) unless otherwise stated]