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EU Software Patent Directive Adopted

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 ..."

9 of 455 comments (clear)

  1. it's time to become (more)anonymous by castlec · · Score: 5, Interesting

    we'll have to write good, patent infringing software. software that is so good it causes the downfall of a company and benefits the world while doing it. all of this, while trying to remain anonymous. i take this time to wish everyone good luck.

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  2. Time for a lobby by SeanJones · · Score: 5, Interesting

    This is now in the hands of our beloved European Parliament. I understand that most of the MEPs have long since been lobbied to the brink of resignation on this issue, but let's make them work for their croissants and travel expenses. The linkk below is to a list of UK MEP's email addresses: http://vox.org.uk/MEPMail.htm Sean

  3. Re:see you by JohnFred · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It's not at all obvious. The Parliament is supposed to gain more power on paper, but there are several complicating factors, like the new President, Foreign Ministry, and streamlined Council. The BBC have attempted to summarise it..

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  4. Implications for a European believer in democracy by born_to_live_forever · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I've been fundamentally opposed to the EEC/EU for as long as I've been an adult voter. I first voted "No" to a proposal to expand EEC powers in 1986, and I've consistently followed this path, ever since.

    In recent years, however, I had been considering a number of arguments in favour of the EU, and I was actually leaning towards voting in favour of the new constitutional treaty, at the upcoming referendum (in my native Denmark).

    Not any longer.

    If I had any doubts about voting "No" at the upcoming referendum, this situation has removed them. The process has revealed a complete disinterest in democracy at the highest levels of the EU - and a servility towards "business interests" (for which read: certain major corporations and their vested interests in maintaining their monopolistic powers) that borders on the shameful.

    The autumn, I will go to the polls and vote "No". I urge any Europeans with similar concerns to adopt the same position.

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  5. Re:It still has to go for a 2nd reading... by 91degrees · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I.e. all hands on deck for a topic that is not likely to attract votes from ordinary EU citizens.

    It all depends. On the surface, this is about patents, but (assuming we're not being misled) this is about democracy, and the EU Parliament being made irrelevent.

  6. How traditional... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Repeatedly ask the same question till you get the "correct" answer

    and if you get bored doing that demonstrate that you didn't give a damn anyway. :(

    I don't fathom how I can possibly write any software that doesn't infringe "something", all the more amusing if I sat in a room for some time and worked out an "obvious" way to solve some problem.

    I think it's fair to say that China is going to kick us all inside out with technological advancement now. Well, serves us right in some way I guess :(

  7. Re:no suprise there. by Handpaper · · Score: 4, Interesting
    It is sad that it happened in the face of huge opposition

    So (nearly) did a blanket 100PS power limit on every motorcycle manufactured in or imported into the EC. This was former Commissioner Martin Bangemann's pet project, and it took intensive lobbying from among others, the Motorcycle Action Group and Triumph Motorcycles to slow it down, but it only died when Bangemann himself ceased to be a Commissioner.
    This was a virtally unresearched, transparently anti-competitive (Bangemann was trying to protect BMW, who, up until about five years ago, had a similar self-imposed limit) piece of legislation, supported by almost no-one else and more than once rejected by the European Parliament, yet it still took the downfall of its sponsor to kill it.

    Moral?
    EU Commissioners have far too much power, far too little responsibility, and are too difficult to get rid of.

    Incidentally, I'm uncertain whether BMW themselves actually had anything to do with this mess, but shortly afterward, they lifted their self-imposed limit and now make some very nice bikes.

  8. Re:Somethins is rotten by Carewolf · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Yes the Danish representetive Bendt Bendsen is pro-swpat. He followed his mandate as little as possible. The presidency would have know that, he was willing to stop with any possible excuse and gave him one.

  9. Re:Constitution gives more power to parliament? by born_to_live_forever · · Score: 4, Interesting

    If you think Bendtsen is an idiot presently, try reading this: Minutes, meeting of the Folketing's EU Affairs Committee, June 23 2004. Bendtsen is just about the most arrogantly ignorant idiot you can imagine, and this really shows him off as what he is. Note his condescending tone...

    In response to the several posters who have urged me to vote "Yes" because, in their estimation, a vote against the new treaty merely supports the undemocratic nature of the EU, I can only say that they obviously have not read the treaty text.

    The "new EU" is by no means any more democratic than the present. In fact, it retains the current system whereby the unelected council dominates the political process. Since it also takes away veto rights of individual (democratically-elected) national parliaments, I consider it a step backwards for democracy in the EU. The present mess has only convinced me that it is a proud and noble thing to vote "No".

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    - Peter Ravn Rasmussen