Thursday

28th Mar 2024

Poland blocks EU software patent directive

The Polish government has withdrawn its support for the European software patent directive, saying the directive could hurt small and medium-sized businesses.

Polish Minister of Scientific Research and Information Technology Michal Kleiber said his office would seek to reopen debate on the extent of patenting that should be allowed for computer programs.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Get the EU news that really matters

Instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

Without Poland's backing, those countries that supported the proposal in May now fall short of a qualified majority in the Council of Ministers.

The Green group in the European Parliament welcomed Poland's move. Eva Lichtenberger, Austrian member of the Legal Affairs Committee, said: "We are glad that Poland's refusal to rubber stamp the directive will open the door to renegotiations among the Member States".

Magda Mosiewicz, co-chairman of the Polish Greens, said:

"I welcome that the Polish government has decided to formally withdraw its support for the software patents directive. I hope other countries will quickly adopt Poland's stance and refuse to vote on the text unless it contains clear limits to the patentability of software and business methods."

The privilege of a few

Big European companies like Nokia, Ericsson, Siemens, Philips and Alcatel have warned that billions in research and development spending would be wasted if they were denied access to patent protection.

While the NoSoftwarePatents (NSP) campaign says patents turn software publishing into the privilege of a few: "Copyright is free, so you don't need patent offices and lawyers to obtain it".

They also pointed to the problem that patents are valid for 20 years.

"In a slow-paced industry, that may be acceptable. For computer software, that means anything which was considered a groundbreaking invention in the days of the Commodore 64 should still enjoy patent protection today", the NoSoftwarePatents group said on their website.

The draft directive on the ‘patentability’ of computer-implemented inventions was expected to be adopted in the coming weeks by EU ministers and sent to MEPs for a second reading by mid-December.

Lacking a qualified majority, the draft will be referred back to the Council, which will have to come up with a new draft to put before the European Parliament next month.

Opinion

EU Modernisation Fund: an open door for fossil gas in Romania

Among the largest sources of financing for energy transition of central and eastern European countries, the €60bn Modernisation Fund remains far from the public eye. And perhaps that's one reason it is often used for financing fossil gas projects.

'Swiftly dial back' interest rates, ECB told

Italian central banker Piero Cipollone in his first monetary policy speech since joining the ECB's board in November, said that the bank should be ready to "swiftly dial back our restrictive monetary policy stance."

Opinion

EU Modernisation Fund: an open door for fossil gas in Romania

Among the largest sources of financing for energy transition of central and eastern European countries, the €60bn Modernisation Fund remains far from the public eye. And perhaps that's one reason it is often used for financing fossil gas projects.

Latest News

  1. Kenyan traders react angrily to proposed EU clothes ban
  2. Lawyer suing Frontex takes aim at 'antagonistic' judges
  3. Orban's Fidesz faces low-polling jitters ahead of EU election
  4. German bank freezes account of Jewish peace group
  5. EU Modernisation Fund: an open door for fossil gas in Romania
  6. 'Swiftly dial back' interest rates, ECB told
  7. Moscow's terror attack, security and Gaza
  8. Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Join EUobserver

EU news that matters

Join us