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EU Closer To Rejecting Software Patents

Posted by Zonk on from the one-step-forward-two-steps-back dept.

niekko writes "BusinessWeek is reporting on the hot subject of European software patent directive. 'The European Parliament moved Tuesday toward rejecting a proposed law creating a single way of patenting software across the European Union, officials said -- a move that would effectively kill the legislation since lawmakers do not plan to set forth a new version.'"

3 of 213 comments (clear)

  1. More details by Iphtashu+Fitz · · Score: 4, Informative

    are available over at Groklaw.

  2. Re:Haven' t we heard this before? by JPMH · · Score: 4, Informative
    I thought this was the 2nd or 3rd time that software patent directive has come up. How do anyone know that there won't be another version for us to talk about months from now?
    According to the rules, if it gets rejected outright by the Parliament tomorrow, it can't come back for at least three years (if ever).

    A more likely eventual route to "harmonisation" allowing software patents could be through decisions of a proposed Community-wide Patent Court, if the EU ever manages to agree to set the thing up.

    The CPC has been a long-standing goal of the EU system for a long time.

  3. Re:If only... by nickos · · Score: 4, Informative

    Actually, I think the best thing would be for the directive to be passed with the 21 cross-party amendments (read more about the Buzek-Rocard-Duff amendments here: http://wiki.ffii.org/AmPlenPr050701En and here: http://swpat.ffii.org/papers/europarl0309/amends05 /komprom0506.en.pdf)

    Failing that we want a rejection of course...