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EU Software Patent Directive Adopted

Posted by Hemos on from the big-bad-news dept.

sebFlyte writes "FTA: "An EU Council spokeswoman said on Monday morning that the Computer Implemented Inventions Directive had been adopted." Apparently it's due to 'institutional reasons' that they're ignoring the outcry from developers and several nation states ..."

5 of 455 comments (clear)

  1. aarrghhh! by catalax · · Score: 5, Insightful

    THESE FUCKERS!

  2. It still has to go for a 2nd reading... by ites · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So if the reason for letting the directive pass now was simply "administrative" and not related to its actual content and meaning, this leaves space for it to be rejected later.

    Being personally deeply affected by this directive - I own a software company that does a huge amount of R&D - I really hope the MEPs will do the right thing.

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    1. Re:It still has to go for a 2nd reading... by ites · · Score: 5, Insightful

      "Start patenting" is easier said than done. It costs a minimum of EUR10,000 a pop, which is a lot of money for a small group. And then all existing US software patents will take force with prior dates.

      Lastly, patents are worthless without the means to back them up. A "large enough portfolio" mainly means you're willing to go to court to defend your claims.

      If this directive is passed, European software researchers like my firm are basically put out of business. We cannot recover or protect our past investment, and our clients will not risk working with technology from small firms with no patent protection.

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  3. Write to your member of the EU parliament now by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The only institution that can stop this madness now is the EU parliament and it has shown several times now, that it is willing to do just that.

    They even asked the EU-Commission to restart the whole process, but the Commission flat out denied this request. I can't imagine that members of parliament like to be treated like that.

    So please, write your local member of the EU parliament and tell him that you ask him to do everything within his power to stop this madness.

  4. Somethins is rotten by Underholdning · · Score: 5, Insightful

    From TFA: Last week it was reported that Denmark would attempt to have the directive listed as a B-item, rather than an A-item, allowing the text to be renegotiated.
    And so they did. Try, that is. But was told that it was impossible for an A-item to become a B-item. They believed it, and didn't object further. This is bogus, because there's nothing that prevents A-items to be ruled as B-items. I smell a rat!

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