Re: [Patents] Finland Patent Office for swpats

[Erik Josefsson <erikjosefsson@telia.com>]

On Fri, 14 Mar 2003 14:22:10 +0100 (CET)
PILCH Hartmut <phm@a2e.de> wrote:

> > EDRI-gram - Number 4, 12 March 2003 Druck mich
> > Date: 2003-03-12T21:20:23
> > EDRI-gram - Number 4, 12 March 2003
> >
> > [...]
> >
> > =================================================================
> > 5. FINLAND CHANGES POLICY ON SOFTWARE PATENTS
> > =================================================================
> >
> > Anticipating the new EU Directive on Patents, the National Board of
> > Patents and Registration of Finland (PRH) decided to accept patents
> > on software. Before, the Fins were a lot stricter than the European
> > Patent Office. The reason for the change in policy is mind-boggling.
> > Because
> 
> What exactly did they decide ?

To follow EPO (roughly -  I have to read more closely).

> Is there any written document ?

Yes, the information comes from the finnish patent office:
http://www.prh.fi/sv/uutiset/112.html

It says FIPTO can not wait for the directive. It has to follow the EPO,
i.e. granting program claims ("programvarukrav godkänns").

"Det är emellertid redan nu helt möjligt att i Finland bringa i kraft
en ansökan som innehåller programvarukrav, nämligen genom att söka
patent direkt hos Europeiska patentverket. Sökandena hamnar i detta
hänseende i en ojämlik ställning om inte PRS ändrar sin praxis. Några
hinder eller olägenheter för att PRS ändrar sin praxis så att den
motsvarar EPO:s nuvarande tolkning finns [a negation is
missing here - "inte"] med tanke på varken bestämmelserna eller
granskningen."

very rough translation:

"It is however already possible in Finland to enforce/apply (? bringa i
kraft?) an application that contains program claims, by applying for a
patent directly at the EPO. Applyees will be in an unequal position if
the FIPTO does not change its praxis. There are no obstacles or
inconviniences for FIPTO to change its praxis in a way that it
corresponds to current EPO interpretation, neither from regulations or
examination"

//Erik