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IT groups win EU ruling on patents
[Quote:]
Big technology groups such as Nokia, Siemens and Philips scored a significant victory on Monday night, when a key European parliament committee rejected plans that would have curtailed their ability to win patents for their inventions.
In a narrow and keenly awaited decision, the parliament’s legal affairs committee threw out proposals for a sweeping overhaul of a controversial European Union proposal known as the software patents directive.
Most importantly, they voted down the overwhelming majority of amendments that would have made it more difficult for companies to win patent protection for software-related inventions.
The vote still has to be confirmed by the entire parliament in early July, although MEPs tend to follow the decision ofthe committee. EU member states would then have to give their approval for the draftlaw, though no-one expects national governments to put up resistance.
FUCK
and here is why. And to quote a slashdot reply on this article:
The example appeals more to the French and francophiles, and fans of great literature. I’d apply it to sandwiches. Imagine if every sandwich shop had to pay the Earl of Sandwich $1 for every sandwich they sold (and then had to pass that cost on to the consumer in the form of higher prices). Then EoS sues McDonalds, as a hamburger is actually a hamburger sandwich, and since he’s getting $1 a sandwich from Akbar’s Gas n’ Munch on 135th Street, he’s suing McDonalds for $100 billion.
But the guy who patented combining cheese and meat is suing McDonalds. And so is the guy who patented the extending sandwich flavor by adding condiments. And so is the guy who patented the idea of conveying french fries to customers in a cardboard container. And so is the guy who patented a method of conveying liquid from a distributing nozzle to the customer by means of a cyllindrical shaped device open at only one end (i.e. a freakin’ CUP). And yes, the cup, and mayonnaise, and cheeseburgers, and fries in a cardboard carton all seem like obvious inventions with lots of prior art. But we’ve seen such silliness get through the patent office in America.
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