Update of Software Patents Agenda

[loic at gnu.org]

karin kosina writes:
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 > 
 > Hi,
 > 
 >     maybe that's a stupid question, but *who* will make the final
 > decision about whether software patents will be legal? I figure it's the
 > European Commission, but is that true?

	From http://www.fsfeurope.org/swpat/swpat.en.html

In Europe, the CONVENTION ON THE GRANT OF EUROPEAN PATENTS (EUROPEAN
PATENT CONVENTION) (published in 1973 and revised December, 17th 1991)
explicitly excludes programs for computers from the field of
patentable inventions (article 52.2). This convention is voted by
representatives of each european country and is binding for all of
them.

	Therefore it is not the European Commission. However the European
Commission has a great influence and in that respect plays an important
role in the final decision.

	I added the fact that the European Commission does not rule this
case to the page.

	Cheers,

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