
Software Patents > Events > 2003 > Ischia 2003/10
2003	Ischia 2003/10	Turin 2003/07	ICRT 03-11-17

EU Patent Movement meeting top politicians in Ischia 2003/10/05-7

The EU patent movement, led by Frits Bolkestein's DG Internal Market, met near Napoli (Naples) on October 5-7, discussing among themselves and with EU politicians from the Italian Presidency, the Commission and the Parliament subjects such as the limits of patentability. FFII/Eurolinux was excluded from participation, letters asking to be invited to panels not answered. Many panels had economic subjects, but the expertise came from patent lawyers only, not from economists.

ischia03A-tuesdayprogram

Annotated Links
Questions, Things To Do, How you can Help

Annotated Links

Quo Vadis? (Where do we go from here?) Striking the balance on industrial property rights: Bolkestein acknowledges failure of communication strategy
Bolkestein speech at Ischia Conference: Acknowledges communication failures
Speakers at Ischia Conference "Industrial Property, Quo Vadis?": a list of well known figures of the EU patent movement and a few more or less independent law scholars.
Monday Program at Ischia Conference: including simulation of legislative projects, e.g. limitation of patent duration to 5 years on "high tech".
Tuesday's Program: Limits of Patent Protection for Software etc: Panel Discussion mainly between protagonists of software patentability
Frits Bolkestein and Software Patents: Internal Market Commissioner of the European Commission since 2000, leader of dutch right-wing liberal party VVD, known mainly by interventions in favor of the world's second largest pharmaceutical company, of whose supervisory board he is a member, and by various policies in favor of big business. Ever since he took office, Bolkestein firmly committed himself to the agenda for legalisation of software patents in Europe and pushed this agenda through an unwilling European Commission. Bolkestein saw himself forced to pay lipservice to the goals of his opponents and sell his directive as a means to achieve those goals. When it became apparent that this strategy did not work, Bolkestein threatened the Parliament with removal of its competence of decision. The Parliament was neither deceived nor intimidated. A month later, Bolkestein's directorate lobbied the national ministers to ignore the Parliament's will and drive the directive project against the wall. When asked for justification, officials of the directorate often point to "the Commissioner" who allegedly is insisting on this.
Prof. Bernd Hugenholtz: One of the authors of this study presented patent-critical views on the software panel of the Ischia conference.
see also DG IV Bakels 2002-06-19: The Patentability of Computer Programs

Questions, Things To Do, How you can Help

Ask Prof. Hugenholtz for his script.