European Patent Office organises "information day" in the European Parliament

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Brussels, 9 March 2005 -- The European Patent Office has sent an invitation to several Members of the European Parliament, inviting them to the first "patent information day" in the European Parliament. Although unsurprising, it is nonetheless remarkable that an organisation which is supposed to put the general interest before the interests of its best clients spreads such a one-sided story. The software patents directive isn't directly mentioned, but the often heard ABS example clearly shows the direction they are once more heading for.

Many of their remarks are addressed in this reply to an article from someone who also seemed to believe that the patent system somehow by its very nature promotes innovation, regardless of what economic sector and substance it is applied to. Also interesting in this context is the fact that their patents on "computer-implemented inventions" are in fact exactly the same as plain software patents, which in the mean time is widely acknowledged by the Commission, Council and several other involved parties (independent of the FFII).

News & Chronology

• 2005-04-18 EU European Commission DG Research Report on EPO Information Day

• 2005-04-02 EU Rebentisch Criticism

Preparations

http://wiki.ffii.org/EpEpoDayQuest050330En

Comments

Rebentisch

This event shows bluntly that the EPO misuses its powers to lobby the European Parliament. From an ordoliberal perspective the EPO lacks competence to do that. The EPO has neither competence to decide on the scope of patent law nor to influence the lawmaker in regard of this question. The horse rides the rider, a common problem in the debate. We recommend the EPO to listen to the market and change its abusive policies rather than defending institutional self-interests.

Program

10:00 Seminar: the European patent system - chaired by Ms Arlene McCarthy, MEP

• ASP - Room A5E3 - The European patent system:

  • Benefits to society
  - Computer-implemented inventions:
  • Patent practice at the EPO
  - Knowledge from patents

11:30 Press conference

• PHS - Room A050

15:00 Presentation to the ITRE Committee

• - by Professor Alain PompidouPresident of the EPO

  ASP - Room A3E2

19:00 Evening reception

• hosted by Mr Giles Chichester, MEP, Chairman of the ITRE Committee Espace Distribution - A. Spinelli

All day: Exhibition - EPO facilities

• Espace Distribution - A. Spinelli

Welcome address

Alain Pompidou President European Patent Office

Text: http://events.european-patent-office.org/2005/0330/welcome/index.en.php

Original invitation

• European Patent Office: the patent-granting authority for Europe Would you buy a new car without ABS ?
• ................................................Probably not. Have you ever considered what is required to bring new technologies, such as ABS, to consumers? The conception and development of a new technology demands considerable time, effort and expense. Without patents, innovators would be offered no possibility of
  • recouping their investment.
  Without patents, innovators would have no incentive to develop their
  • inventions.
  Without patents, innovation would remain secret. Patents promote innovation, technology transfer, investment, consumption, economic growth and jobs. The European Patent Office - bringing ABS and other innovation to European citizens The EPO is pleased to announce that its first Information Day will take place in the European Parliament in Brussels on 30th March 2005.
  • EPO Information Day
  • European Parliament - Brussels Wednesday 30th March 2005
  Draft programme: 10h00: Seminar: the European Patent System, chaired by Mrs. Arlene

  • McCarthy, MEP

  ASP - Room A5E3 11h30: Press conference PHS - Room 1A050 15h00: Presentation to the ITRE Committee by Prof. Alain Pompidou,

  • President of the EPO

  ASP - Room A3E2 19h00: Evening reception hosted by Mr. Giles Chichester, MEP, Chairman

  • of the ITRE Committee
  Espace Distribution - A. Spinelli All day: Exhibition - EPO facilities Espace Distribution - A. Spinelli Please note:
  • access to the European Parliament is restricted to those with the appropriate accreditation or security clearance.
  More details will be available shortly on our website:

  http://www.european-patent-office.org For further information please contact the EPO on : e.mail: epo-infoday at epo.org tel: 0032 (0)2.274.15.93

05-02-23 Official Press release

(from http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-02/i-epo022305.php)

• European Patent Office Information Day in the European Parliament Munich/Brussels: The European Parliament will host the first European Patent Office (EPO) Information Day on the 30th March 2005. The EPO Information Day will include a presentation to the Industry, Research and Energy Committee (ITRE) by EPO President Alain Pompidou and workshops on EPO products and services. Mr. Alain Pompidou will highlight the dynamic growth of the European patent system and its role for the European economy. The European Patent Office plays a central role in managing the flow from technological knowledge to innovation and from innovation to the market place. This year the EPO expects a new record number of nearly 180,000 patent applications from all fields of technology. Supporting European enterprises and, consequently, the innovation process in the European Union, the EPO contributes to the realization of the Lisbon strategy, establishing the goal for the European Union to become knowledge-based and the most competitive economy in the world by 2010. For further information, please contact: David Sant European Patent Office Brussels Bureau Av. de Cortenbergh, 60 B-1000 Brussels, Belgium Tel: 32-2-274-1591 Fax: 32-2-201-5928

  dsant at epo.org http://www.european-patent-office.org.

  EPO's e-mail address for press queries: press at epo.org Media Contact: Marta Czerniawska ISC Rue Wiertz, 50/28 B-1050 Brussels, Belgium Tel.: 32-2-401-6147 Fax: 32-2-401-6868

  marta at isc-europe.com http://www.isc-europe.com Editor's note EPO: The European Patent Office grants European patents for the contracting states to the European Patent Convention (EPC), which was signed in Munich on 5 October 1973 and entered into force on 7 October

• It is the executive body of the European Patent Organisation, an intergovernmental body set up under the EPC, whose members are the EPC contracting states. The activities of the EPO are supervised by the Organisation's Administrative Council, composed of delegates from

  these states. See http://www.european-patent-office.org. EPO Member States: The following states are currently members of the European Patent Organisation: Austria; Belgium; Republic of Bulgaria; Switzerland; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Germany; Denmark; Republic of Estonia; Spain; Finland; France; United Kingdom; Hellenic Republic; Hungary; Ireland; Iceland; Italy; Liechtenstein; Lithuania, Luxembourg; Monaco; Netherlands; Poland; Portugal; Republic of Romania; Sweden; Slovenia; Slovak Republic and Turkey. European Parliament Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) is responsible for:

• The Union's industrial policy and the application of new technologies, including measures relating to SMEs;
• The Union's research policy, including the dissemination and exploitation of research findings;
• Space policy;
• The activities of Joint Research Centre and the Central Office for Nuclear Measurements, as well as JET, ITER and other projects in the same area;
• Community measures relating to energy policy in general, the security of energy supply and energy efficiency including the establishment and development of trans-European networks to the energy infrastructure sector;
• The Euratom Treaty and Euratom Supply Agency; nuclear safety, decommissioning and waste disposal in the nuclear sector;
• The information society and information technology, including the establishment and development of trans-European networks in the telecommunication infrastructure sector.

invitation sent to assistants

• European Patent Office: the patent-granting authority for Europe Dear Assistant, The President Of the European Patent Office (EPO), Professor Alain Pompidou, has the honour of inviting you to attend the first-ever Information Day of the EPO at the European Parliament. EPO Information Day European Parliament - Brussels
  • Wednesday 30th March 2005
  To look at the Programme, click on the link below:

  <http://events.european-patent-office.org/2005/0330/programme/index.en.php> http://events.european-patent-office.org/2005/0330/programme/index.en.php Please note: access to the European Parliament is restricted to those with the appropriate accreditation or security clearance. More details available on our website:

  http://events.european-patent-office.org/2005/0330/ <http://www.european-patent-office.org/> For further information please contact the EPO on : e.mail: <mailto:epo-infoday@epo.org> epo-infoday@epo.org tel: 0032 (0)2.274.15.93