| Medieval Europe | Kings grant patent-like privileges in order to reciprocate favors and collect revenues. |
|---|
| 1443 | Venice: first patents |
|---|
| 1624 | England: Monopoly Act. Queen Elisabeth I granted all kinds of monopolies in order to create a source of revenues for the crown which does not need the approval of the parliament. Upon negotiations with the Parliament, this right is limited to monopolies for inventions. |
|---|
| 1769 | James Watt patents a "condenser connected to a cylinder by a valve". Patents slow down development of steam engine. |
|---|
| 1787 US | US Constitution mentions patents and copyright as instruments which congress shall "have the power" to use "to promote progress of science and the useful arts". |
|---|
| 1787 | Thomas Jefferson 1st president of US patent office. Few patents in the US in the following years |
|---|
| 1791 FR | French patent law, Some french revolutionaries postulate "natural right to intellectual property", others ridicule it. |
|---|
| 1830 US | telegraphy revolution, patents come out of fashion |
|---|
| 1877 DE | German patent law introduced. According to Machlup, it marked a "victory of lawyers and protectionists against economists". |
|---|
| 1885 JP | Japanee patent law introduced. |
|---|
| 1930-1970 | Patent-sceptical thinking dominant |
|---|
| 1973 | European Patent Convention signed in Munich: software patents excluded |
|---|
| 1976 DE | BGH 1976-06-22: Dispositionsprogramm: Software not Patentable |
|---|
| 1978 EU | EPO 1978: Examination Guidelines: Software not Patentable |
|---|
| 1980 DE | signal of ambiguity: BGH 1980-09-16: Rolling Rod Splitting (Walzstabteilung) Decision: new calculation rule for optimising industrial production of rolling rods is not a technical invention, Caso Antiblockiersystem: "Technical Program" patentable, function claims permissible, if forces of nature at the center |
|---|
| 1982 US | Court of Appeal of the Federal Circuit (CAFC) for patent matters founded, acts as promoter of its own specialty, extends patentability in the following years |
|---|
| 1986 EPO | Vicom case: begin of granting patents for algorithms and business methods, disguised as technical apparatuses. |
|---|
| 1986-90 US | surge of patenting in US+JP without corresponding surge in innovation |
|---|
| 1989 EPO | surge in software patent applications |
|---|
| 1991 EU | Software Copyright directive |
|---|
| 1997 | Green Paper for Community Patent calls for legalisation of software patents by change of EPC and EU directive |
|---|
| 1998 US | State Street case |
|---|
| 1998 EPO | Technical Board of Appeal IBM T97/1173 case legalises program claims. Note of EPO president says that this decision is a model to be followed |
|---|
| 1998 EPO | TBA judge Mark Schar redefines "technical invention" as "practical problem solution" |
|---|
| 1999 | European Commission produces followup papers to the Greenpaper, arguing that Microsoft has many patents and therefore patents are needed for software. |
|---|
| 2000/06 | EPO Base Proposal asks for deletion of Art 52(2) in its entirety. |
|---|
| 2000/06 | Start of Eurolinux Petition |
|---|
| 2000/11 | Diplomatic Conference leaves Art 52(2) untouched, decision is moved to the EU |
|---|
| 2000/10-12 | European Consultation on the Patentability of Computer-Implemented Rules of Organisation and Calculation (= Programs for Computers) |
|---|
| 2001 | CEC keeps lid on consultation results, publishes manipulative report by "independent contractor" several months after its delivery |
|---|
| 2002/02/20 | CEC & BSA 2002-02-20: proposal to make all useful ideas patentable |
|---|
| 2002/03? | MEPs McCarthy, Wuermeling, Plooj, Rocard etc nominated rapporteurs |
|---|
| 2002/03 | France 2002-03-01: EU Commission Directive Proposal Unacceptable |
|---|
| 2002/06 | MEP Arlene McCarthy 2002-06-19: Report on the CEC/BSA Directive Proposal |
|---|
| 2002/06 | Bakels & Hugenholtz study, critical of swpat, demands completely new approach |
|---|
| 2002/09 | counter proposal by FFII |
|---|
| 2002/09/23 | ESC 2002-09: Europe should reconfirm Non-Patentability of Software! |
|---|
| 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 |
|---|
| 2003/08/28 | EU Software Patent Plans Shelved Amid Massive Demonstrations |
|---|
| 2003/09/23 | plenary debate in EP after 129 amendments have been tabled; Bolkestein's threat |
|---|
| 2003/09/24 | EU Parliament Votes for Real Limits on Patentability |
|---|
| 2004/11 | Commission DGIM nitpicks the parliament's decision |
|---|
| 2004/01/29 | "Compromis" du Conseil de l'UE pour une brevetabilité illimitée |
|---|
| 2004/03/17 | public version of the Council's working group proposal, soon thereafter moved to COREPER |
|---|
| 2004/04/14 | FFII demo and conference on swpat in Brussels, amidst Council Presidency moves, Nokia campaign and MEP statements |
|---|
![[DE Deutsch]](/img/flags/de.png){kind=small}
![[JA Nihongo]](/img/flags/jp.png){kind=small}
![[translatable text]](/img/icons/txt.png){kind=icon}
![[howto help]](/img/icons/questionmark.png){kind=icon}
![[printable version]](/img/icons/pdficon.png){kind=icon}
![[Addenda]](/img/icons/addenda.png){kind=icon}
