Louis Joseph, senior IP consultant of Kalton, a British Internet company, explains what awkward interpretation of the law the EPO has given and how illogical and contrary to the spirit of the law its argumentatio concerning computer programs as such is. The EPO did this in order to accomodate as well as it could the strong needs of the software industry for protection. Software companies will only invest in a place where intellectual property is sufficiently protected. If Europe doesn't make software patentable, they will go to the US.

author: Maitland Kalton Date of Submission: 2000-12-14 files: kalton.pdf and local copy