From phm@a2e.de  Fri Feb 16 20:56:41 2001
Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2001 21:56:41 +0100 (CET)
From: PILCH Hartmut phm@a2e.de
Subject: [Patents] Dutch MP's demand triviality criteria in the law before
 allowing SW pats

> > Another topic: did you consider the exclusion of patents on interfaces?
> > These patents hurt interoperability.
>
> They were not explicitly discussed.  I take it
> that interfaces are as 'software' and 'representation
> of information' as it can get. Not?

Moreover, nobody knows what system may become part of an interface in the
future.  This is a problem of determining what may be done with a patent,
not what can be patented.

See the 5 law initiatives

	http://swpat.ffii.org/xatra/patg2C/

This belongs to initiative 2 (interoperability).  The EPC discussion and
EU consultation is about initiative 3 (patentability criteria).  The VOSN
seem to have succeeded in launching something which enhances initiative 5
(general reform of the patent system).

-phm







