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Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Computer-Implemented Inventions: Where Do We Stand In The Debate On "Software Patents"?

conference organised by the European Patent Office and to be held on July 05, 2007, under the title

"Computer-implemented inventions: where do we stand in the debate on 'software patents'?"

fuels

speculations about this matter soon to re-appear on the political agenda. Mr Joff Wild of

IAM

writes in his

blog:

"[...] Last week I mentioned a lunch I had with someone close to the EPO who was talking about a potential reintroduction of the CII Directive next year. I wonder if this conference is a prelude to that happening. Last time around, there was almost open warfare between opposing camps, so one way of reducing tensions may be to get everyone talking together, rather than throwing accusations at each other from different parts of the continent. By bringing in people such as the FFII's Pieter Hintjens and Eva Lichtenberger of the European Green Party to debate face to face with supporters of the Directive, it may also be easier for people to make up their minds about who is right and who is wrong. What is certain is that there needs to be some clatification on where Europe does stand with regard to softare and CII patents - the current uncertainty is not sustainable. Keep an eye on this, things could soon begin to happen. [...]"

Or, will it be merely an interim summary and bemoaning of the

widening rift between the practice of the EPO, on the one hand, and national case law, on the other? Let's wait and see.

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