-------- Original Message --------
http://downontheriver.blogspot.com/ Michelle Childs 21.04.06
The EU Commission recently held a consultation on the Patent system in Europe. http://europa.eu.int/comm/internal_market/indprop/patent/ It covered a number of issues. One of great concern to all those activists who had successfully campaigned against the introduction of software patents, was the Commissions proposal to introduce a Community patent system ( one patent for the whole of Europe). They feared that this could be a backdoor method to introduce software patents. So the activists once again marshalled thier resources to respond to the consultation.
But the fights not over yet. I have recently been told by Florian Mueller ( one of the lead lobbyists against software patenting) that there is another backdoor method being pursued by pro software patenting companies. That is using the European Patent Litigation Agreement (EPLA).
You can read the background on it here:
ahttp://www.no-lobbyists-as-such.com/florian-mueller-blog/epla
Cptech also submitted comments to the Commissions patent consultation. While we oppose software patents, we sought in our response to also focus on wider principles of patent policy that apply to all areas of the economy eg the development of medicines.
A copy of our response can be found here: http://www.cptech.org/a2k/cptechECPatconsultation-12april06.pdf
-- Michelle Childs -Head of European Affairs Consumer Project on Technology in London 24, Highbury Crescent, London, N5 1RX,UK. Tel:+44(0)207 226 6663 ex 252. Mob:+44(0)790 386 4642. Fax: +44(0)207 354 0607 http://www.cptech.org
Consumer Project on Technology in Washington, DC 1621 Connecticut Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20009 USA .Tel.: +1.202.332.2670,Fax: +1.202.332.2673
Consumer Project on Technology in Geneva 1 Route des Morillons, CP 2100, 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland Tel: +41 22 791 6727
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