[DMCA-Activists] JURI Calls for Restart on SW Patent Directive

[Seth Johnson]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [GreenSource] Software patents : EP ask a restart !
   Date: Wed, 2 Feb 2005 21:27:05 +0100
   From: "VANDEWALLE Laurence" <address@hidden>

 The legal affairs committee tonight decided by a large majority
to ask a restart of the procedure on the directive on Computer
implemented Inventions.
 The new Commissionner McCreevy had previously attended this
meeting and  failed to answered MEP's precise questions on the
state of affairs and on the steps that the Commission could take
- the directive is blocked in Council for a few month. The
Commissionner just said that all possibilities were opened and
that the most important question for him was whether the
directive made sense in the context of the Lisbon strategy.
Most MEPs showed critical of the current text of the directive as
it does not take into account the position adopted by the EP in
first reading, and a quasi concensus on a restart made its way in
the meeting. The former rapporteur Mrs McCarthy said that "nobody
wants to patent innovation" (sic) - the current rapporteur Michel
Rocard expressed his doubts that a new first reading will bring
as good amendments as the 1st one. After a heated debate the
committee adopted the proposal by Green MEPs Lichtenberger and
Frassoni to apply article 55.1 and restart the procedure.
The ball is now in the camp of the Commission that is expected to
come up with a better proposal that will really bring legal
clarity and allow patents on inventions while putting an end to
the EPO's illegal practise.

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