Tag: software patent

In order to face the challenges of global competitors and boost the growth potential of Europe's Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry, hardware and software products, systems and networks need to work smoothly together. 

Commissioner Charlie McCreevy will this week outline his patent policy plans to the European Parliament, but his support for a single European patent law is already under fire. 

Twenty six software companies based in Europe or with major European subsidiaries have set up a new association to boost their industry and to represent it better on such issues as intellectual property rights.

After the rejection, on 6 July 2005, by the Parliament of the draft directive on the patentability of computer-implemented inventions, often referred to as the 'software patents directive', industry and associations are discussing the consequences for Europe's patent regime and intellectual property rights (IPR) protection for computer programmes. 

After the rejection by the Parliament of the proposed directive on the patentability of computer-implemented inventions, often dubbed as the "software patents directive", industry and associations are discussing consequences for Europe's patent regime and intellectual property rights (IPR) protection for computer programs. 

The EU tug of war around the patentability of software may be nearing an end as the Parliament prepares to hold its vote in second reading on 6 July 2005. 

MEPs, SME groups and anti-patent campaigners have reacted angrily to the ministerial agreement on software patents, promising a bumpy ride in Parliament at second reading.

Led by former Polish PM Jerzi Buzek, 61 MEPs have introduced a motion asking the Commission to reconsider its proposal on the controversial software patents directive.

EU ministers have rejected most of the Parliament's amendments to the software patents directive. The new Parliament will examine the text in second reading after the June elections.

The Italian Presidency has taken a last-minute decision not to put the software patents directive on the Competitiveness Council agenda. The directive will now be examined under the upcoming Irish Presidency in 2004.

Concluding several months of heated debate, the Parliament approved on 24 September a pan-European law governing the application of patents to software programmes.

In the wake of protests by computer scientists and economists, the European Parliament on 1 September decided to delay voting on the controversial directive on the patentability of computer software.

On 6 May, the European Patent Office held a hearing concerning a patent monopoly by Monsanto on genetically modified soybeans.

The Competitiveness Council of 3 March will try to reach a final compromise on the controversial Community Patent and adopt its contribution for the Spring Council.

The Internal Market Council was due to come to an agreement on an EU wide patent, but remaining differences between the Member States may prevent this again on 21 May: the agenda mentions a "joint policy guideline".

On 10 April, the EP plenary adopted, some non-binding amendments, the Legal Affairs Committee's report creating an EU wide patent, favouring the 5 language approach.

The Consumer and Internal Market Council will on 1 March mainly focus on the community and software patents, consumer issues and the euro and preparations for the internal market discussions for the Barcelona Summit.

Internal Market Ministers failed to lift the deadlock over the community patent during their extraordinary Council on 20 December. The proposal for an EU-wide patent has been blocked because of the Member States' struggling over the linguistic arrangements of the Commission's proposals.

Business voices UNICE and AmCham state the Council is losing track over a compromise on an EU-wide patent and propose it stick to the original Commission proposal. The Council and Parliament will try to agree on the proposal on 26 and 27 November respectively.