Re: [Fsfe-uk] EP rejects Software Patent Directive, 648 to 14, 18 abstentions

[Alex Hudson]

On Wed, 2005-07-06 at 14:47 +0100, Robin Green wrote:
> > We might have been better with a directive that had been properly amended 
> > than to have no directive at all.
> 
> Yes. Doesn't the UK already grant software patents at a national level?

It does, but not to the satisfaction of the pro-patent lobby. For
example, anything business method related tends to get thrown out fairly
easily. Pure computer science tends to succeed if the patent is suitably
written, though.

I agree with Jason - a good directive would be better than no directive.
But, a good directive was not on the table. The MEPs would have had to
vote each good amendment into the directive with a super-majority, and
the likelihood would be that only some of them would have got through -
resulting in a dog's breakfast at best. Had the directive been *really*
good, the Council would have ditched it.

This isn't about the EP vs. the Council per se. While the EP may have
been quite happy to thumb their nose Council-wards, they're a lot more
professional than that. This legislation was rejected because it was
flawed.

Cheers,

Alex.