From pb@breese.fr  Sat Oct  7 10:13:45 2000
Date: Sat, 07 Oct 2000 12:13:45 +0200
From: Pierre BREESE pb@breese.fr
Subject: [Patents] Free gorilla

Stefane Fermigier a *crit :.

>
> They might have been misguided, and not have considered the issue of
being
> sued by someone else for programming techniques they thought was to
trivial
> to be patented and they are using in their products.

And your opinion is that they will be in a better situation in not
filing patents ???

When you manage an commercial activity, in software or in all kind of
activities, you
have to take in account IP rights of your competitors, even when you
choose not filing
patents for your own innovations.

Software patents DOES EXIST IN EUROPE, and all tactic based on denying
thise reality is
a bad way.

And I'm afraid that the european patent system will clarify the
situation in
maintaining the present practice of granting patent software. The 19
countries involved
in EPO recently have unanimously assented a modification of art. 52 EPC.
(The debate
that led to the 10/9 vote didnt concern the opportunity of such an
amendment).


Pierre BREESE
Patent attorney







