-> [ Patent News ]
How the patent system expanded and how theories of its limits emerged and were codified.
More Dates
- 1997-07-00 Commission launches Greenpaper on Community Patent and Software Patents
1997-10-07 EU Commissioner Monti: We need a directive "to protect computer software by patents"
2002-03? McCarthy, Wuermeling, Plooj, Rocard etc nominated rapporteurs
- 2002-05? Economic and Social Council vote against software patents and EPO practise
2002-06 first McCarthy paper (pro swpat, discrediting critics)
2002-06 Bakels & Hugenholtz study (critical of swpat, demands completely new approach)
2002-09 FFII counter proposal
- 2002-11-07 JURI hearing,
2002-11 Danish Council presidency publishes working party position in favor of unlimited patentability
- 2003-01 CULT vote against swpat, for freedom of publication and interoperation
- 2003-02 ITRE vote for freedom of publication and interoperation
2003-03 McCarthy report to JURI
- 2003-05-17 FFII conference on swpat in Brussels
- 2003-06-17 JURI vote for fake limits on patentability
- 2003-08-27 FFII demo in Brussels
- 2003-09-23: plenary debate in EP after 129 amendments have been tabled, Bolkesteins threat
- 2003-09-24: EP vote clearly restates nonpatentability of software, confines patent system to truly industrial products and processes (automated production of material goods), rejects program claims, and safeguards interoperability.
2004-01-29: Irish presidency's proposal for the council's position, reverts all amendments that limit patentability or enforcement, and re-introduces program claims. The most extreme version ever.
2004-03-17: latest version of working group proposal, soon thereafter moved to CoRePer
2004-05-18 The Council of the European Union reaches a political agreement on common position It is questionable wether a real qualified majority was reached
2005-02-02 The JURI Committee of the European Parliament votes to restart the procedure for the directive "on the patentability of computer implemented inventions"
2005-02-28 The European Commission refuses to restart the procedure for the directive "on the patentability of computer implemented inventions"
2005-03-07 The Council of the European Union reaches a common possition after being postponed several times. Again it is questionable wether a real qualified majority was reached and wether the procedures were followed correctly.
2005-06-20 The JURI Committee of the European Parliament adopts only few changes the Council's "common position"
2005-07-06 The European Parliament rejects the directive "on the patentability of computer implemented inventions"
