From phm@a2e.de  Fri May 11 23:56:22 2001
From: phm@a2e.de (PILCH Hartmut)
Date: 12 May 2001 00:56:22 +0200
Subject: [Patents] patent inflation in Japan
Message-ID: <87y9s3wl49.fsf@mulix.oas.a2e.de>

Under

	http://www.jpo.go.jp/iken/tt1210-038_kaitei.htm

the Japanese Patent Office conducted a consultation aiming to make
computer programs and business methods directly patentable in their
abstract form, independent of a medium to which they were tied before.
Another aim was to allow more direct claims to business methods.

The consultation was concluded on Dec 12th.

Although I don't know the result, it is clear from the page that this
is a patent movement activity that can only have one result.

The new law is to be enacted in 2003.

--
Hartmut Pilch 
Federation for a Free Information Infrastructure                 http://www.ffii.org/
Stop Patent Inflation!                                         http://swpat.ffii.org/
Sign the Petition for a Software Patent Free Europe    http://petition.eurolinux.org/


