Leading European Technology Firms Warn Over Amendments to Software Patent Law
Five of Europe's leading technology firms have written to the European Union's
Internal Market Commissioner, Frits Bolkestein, urging the European Commission
to scrap amendments to its planned Directive on the Patentability of Computer
Implemented Inventions, which they argue will make it hard for them to recoup
their research and development (R&D) costs. In response to concerns expressed by programmers and entrepreneurs within the
EU, the European Parliament earlier this year approved around 90 amendments
to the initiative, the majority of which were designed to ensure that software
and business methods cannot themselves be patented. However, in a letter sent last month but seen by Reuters on Thursday, the heads
of Nokia, Ericsson, Siemens, Philips and Alcatel explained that: "The vote in parliament...has completely turned the commission's original
proposal around, removing effective patent protection for much - and in the
case of telecommunications and consumer electronics probably most - of our
R&D investment." The telecom firm bosses concluded: "This would have devastating consequences for our companies. It would
be open for all-comers to exploit the results of our expensive R&D programmes
at no cost." .
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