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EU Says No To Software Patents

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the break-out-the-champagne dept.

Moggie68 writes "European parliament has . struck down the proposal for a directive that would have brought US-style software patents into EU." Here's another story on the decision.

9 of 525 comments (clear)

  1. The score by RootsLINUX · · Score: 5, Funny

    The so-called software patent directive, rejected by a 648-14 vote with 18 abstentions, would have given companies EU-wide patent protection for computerized inventions ranging from programs for complex CAT scanners to ABS car-brake systems.

    PWNED!!!

    --
    Hero of Allacrost, a FOSS RPG for *NIX/*BSD/OS X/Win
  2. Re:It's possible that certain types of patents are by 110010001000 · · Score: 1, Funny

    "You don't patent a mathematical formula, for software is merely a connection of a mathematical formula"

    More proof that the people making the decisions don't know what they are doing. Software is not a derivative of a mathmatical formula. This isn't 1940 where computers are simply solving math problems.
    Software development and mathematics diverged a long time ago. They have virtually nothing in common anymore.

  3. Re:Well done!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    For the time being I can rest assured that working as a programmer I do not have to watch my every statement.



    Really? I won't be buying your code then.



  4. Re:Heh... everybody wins! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    well, thank you Bill Gates!

  5. A sad day for innovation, indeed by Anders+Andersson · · Score: 2, Funny
    The so-called software patent directive, rejected by a 648-14 vote with 18 abstentions, would have given companies EU-wide patent protection for computerized inventions ranging from programs for complex CAT scanners to ABS car-brake systems.

    Holy crap! Does it mean companies will have to be satisfied with EU-wide patent protection only for computerized inventions ranging from complex CAT scanners to ABS car-brake systems instead? Now that seems like a real threat to European innovation; these companies will surely fall victims to foreign competitors selling computerized ABS car-brake systems involving no hardware components at all...

  6. Re:Next: the US by burnetd · · Score: 2, Funny

    Florida !

  7. NOOooooooo by tech49er · · Score: 2, Funny

    As if it it wasnt hard enough getting work this side of the atlantic! Not only do we have to deal with work getting outsourced to india - pretty soon we'll have to compete with the wave of hungry refugee-programmers pouring in from the US :-(

    --
    "... always going forward 'cause we cant find reverse! "
  8. Curses! Foiled again! by fadden · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now we Americans will have to compete against Europeans with technology instead of lawyers.

    So close! We almost had them!

  9. Re:Not quite by cortana · · Score: 2, Funny

    Don't worry; as soon as the Tories decide who'd they'd like to lose the next election to, I'll think up a similar name for him and his stooges. :)