Update of Software Patents Agenda

[loic at gnu.org]

 > 
 >     First of all, thanks for the excellent agenda on software patents you
 > proposed. I'm currently working on an article concerning software
 > patents, and I have a question: What does "The Revision Act shall be
 > open for signature until the first day of September two thousand and one
 > at the European Patent Office." mean de facto? On
 > petition.eurolinux.org, it is stated that
 > 
 > <quote src="http://petition.eurolinux.org/pr/pr8.html">
 > With the exception of Austria, Lichtenstein and Switzerland, all
 > European countries voted in Munich yesterday against an extension of the
 > patent system to software. The exception on computer programs will be
 > maintained in the European Patent Convention after its revision.
 > </quote>
 > 
 > - -- so how does this vote against software patents fit in? I know that
 > the final decision is still due, but I do not understand the
 > significance of a "Revision Act" being "open for signature". I would be
 > glad if you could give me some more information about that.

	Honestly I have no clue. The agenda I'm building is a way for
me to understand what happened and what's going on and ease the path
for other newcomers. I'm still pretty clueless on many things, such as
the meaning of this vote.

	Another thing that is running in the back of my mind is the fact
that, at the beginning of the year the patent office tried to push for a
quick resolution regarding software patents. I can't find a trace of this
anywhere on the web sites. I'm still searching.

	Another thing is the result of last year consultation. Hartmut told
me that nothing was released by the european officials. I've not seen anywhere
that they have a deadline. I don't even know if they are supposed to release
anything. Probably not. 

	What strikes me most is the fact that the visible agenda on 
software patent is mostly empty for the future. No forseeable events.
I must be missing something. 

	Cheers,

-- 
Loic   Dachary         http://www.dachary.org/  loic at dachary.org
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