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Row erupts over software patent directive
News The European Commission's directive on software patents has come under severe criticism for bowing to the needs of big business at the expense of small software developers and consumers. The directive is seen as a crucial test of the European...
[February 21, 2002, 16:50]
EC: Software patents will still be granted
News The European Commission (EC) warned on Wednesday that patent offices across Europe will continue to grant software patents, despite the European Parliament's decision to reject the Computer Implemented Inventions directive.
[July 21, 2005, 16:30]
EC: We'd accept software patent defeat
News The European Commission (EC) will not stand in the European Parliament's (EP) way if it decides to reject the draft directive on software-related patents, the Commission told the Parliament on Tuesday evening.
[March 9, 2005, 11:45]
Software patents face-off delayed until spring
News The French government had said it would call for a delay in order to hold additional consultations, according to a spokesman, citing the "difference in approach" to the directive of the Commission and the European Parliament.
[December 1, 2003, 13:20]
Software patents vote delayed
News Since February, the proposed directive of the European Parliament and of the European Council on the patentability of computer-implemented inventions has been considered by three European parliamentary committees, with a final vote by the...
[June 30, 2003, 12:30]
Lobbyists prepare for next software patent battle
News Florian Mueller, the founder of Nosoftwarepatents.com and a key campaigner against last year's directive, said the next battle over software patents could be more difficult to fight than the last. Last year, the directive on the patentability of...
[January 23, 2006, 16:20]
European software patents inch closer
News Juri voted to approve a series of amendments to a proposed directive on the patentability of computer-implemented inventions, which aims to eliminate ambiguity in the way software-related patents are handled, and differences in the way EU member...
[June 18, 2003, 14:04]
Scientists protest EU software patents
News The Committee on Industry, External Trade, Research and Energy argued that "despite the Commission's claims, (the proposal) paves the way to a broader use of patents as a model for protecting computer software", and argued that, if adopted, the...
[April 28, 2003, 12:10]
Protests derail software patents vote
News The European Parliament has delayed voting on a controversial software-patents directive, following protests and criticism by computer scientists and economists. Software patents have been likened to allowing a monopoly on the ideas behind stories...
[September 1, 2003, 15:55]
Patent Impending
News Many of the documents relating to the directive can be found on the European Commission Web site, here. On the other hand, the directive could lead to a more consistent framework for patents across the EU, which would make it easier for companies...
[August 27, 2003, 9:34]
Software patent protest to block Web sites
News Some sites are also redirecting users to a petition and call for action against the proposed directive on the patentability of computer-implemented inventions, which will be submitted to the European Parliament for approval on 1 September.
[August 26, 2003, 14:00]
Patent activists protest in Brussels
News The 300 demonstrators walked past the buildings of the main EU bodies involved in the software patent directive -- the EU Council, the European Commission (EC) and the European Parliament (EP). The demonstration was planned by European pressure...
[February 18, 2005, 12:15]
Anti-patent demo planned in Brussels
News On February 17 anti-patent campaigners will march past the buildings of the main EU bodies involved in the software patent directive -- the EU Council, the European Commission (EC) and the European Parliament (EP).
[February 14, 2005, 15:55]
EU directive 'could spark patent war'
News The patents directive will next return to the European Commission for review, followed by votes in Parliament and the Council of Ministers, after which, if approved, it will be implemented in the national laws of EU member states.
[October 3, 2003, 13:20]
Patent nonsense: the case for unfettered development
News Under the co-decision rules for European lawmaking, the European Parliament, Commission and the Council all have to agree to the text of the directive before it can come into force. Since then, the directive has been under discussion in the Council...
[February 18, 2005, 15:45]
Linux kernel maintainer joins patent celebrations
News On Wednesday the Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) voted 19 to one, with one abstention, in favour of a motion asking the European Commission to rewrite the Computer Implemented Inventions Directive.
[February 3, 2005, 15:55]
SMEs feeling excluded from EC patent consultation
News The FFII claims that the proposals the Commission has put forward in the consultation document could lead to the EU-wide introduction of software patents and the transfer of power from individual patent offices to the European Patent Office, which...
[March 9, 2006, 11:55]
Patents directive wins European Parliament OK
News He said if the "unacceptable" amendments were passed, the Commission could withdraw the Directive entirely and seek to achieve patent harmonisation through a renegotiation of the European Patent Convention.
[September 24, 2003, 18:05]
Software patents make a mockery of European ideals
Talkback This same principle would apply to other crazy proposals of the European Commission - like the "Bolkestein directive". Without a uniform bad law, one or more EU countries would be able to think for themselves, to prohibit software patents outright...
[March 11, 2005, 15:25]
EC: Software is not patentable
News This statement appears to contradict what the EC said last year - that the EPO would continue to grant software patents that make a technical contribution, despite the European Parliament's decision to reject the software patent directive.
[May 24, 2006, 15:25]
