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EU Patents Won't Stay Dead

Posted by Zonk on from the like-legislative-zombies dept.

sconeu writes "Apparently the EC is ignoring the restart directive, and has placed software patents as an A-Item on the Council of Minister's agenda with an aim for approval on Monday." From the article: "The directive is pitched as offering greater protection for software developers. Opponents, including many in the European parliament, fear it will simply provide big players, including America's powerful and litigious software giants, with a very large stick to batter upstart developers and the Open Source movement." Update: 03/04 22:04 GMT by Z : And just as quick as you please Denmark stops things in their tracks. Denmark's objection means that there will have to be further debate before the patents get the stamp.

3 of 410 comments (clear)

  1. US influence peddling goes world-wide by Harodotus · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Is it just me or does it sound like Microsoft and other litigious American software giants has bought the influence of this European commission? I can only hope that the many countries involved will stand up and fight to at least hold debate on a matter that might ruin most small and mid sized European software companies.

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    Its not users who are broken, it's systems not taking account their likely behaviour and fixing it technically.
  2. I don't understand by Auckerman · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Why do Europeans allow a non-elected commission to determine economic policy? It makes no sense to me that a state would agree to hand out such important matters that, in my mind anyhow, require representation to do. Personally, I don't give crap about software patents, I'm more amazed the EU is run like this.

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    Burn Hollywood Burn
  3. Actually, they are as good as dead by CharonX · · Score: 5, Interesting

    According to this article in the German IT magazine Heise.de (use the fish), the danish parliament has giving their minister for economy, Bendt Bendtsen, binding orders to request a complete restart of the whole negotiations.
    The parliament of the Netherlands have giving their representative orders to support any demands for new negotiations.
    Finally, the German representative would face sever pressure (he'd probably have to resign) should he ignore the German parliants demands for new negotiations.
    As for many of the "new" EU members, they will probably not support a decision that might severly restrict their fledgeling IT economy - no matter how much Microsoft and the other "big players" try to lobby.
    So, all in all, its as good as dead - at least for now.

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    +++ MELON MELON MELON +++ Out of Cheese Error +++ redo from start +++