GregNews on FiPO move

[PILCH Hartmut <phm@a2e.de>]

Basically you find here information taken from 

        http://www.aful.org/wws/arc/patents/2003-03/msg00042.html

but without a pointer to the source.  Or is the same also found in
EDRI-gram ?

------------------------

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
the European Parliament seems to propose much more unpermissive rules
than the Council or Commission, the new Software Patent Directive will
be delayed and therefore Finland felt it had to suddenly soften its
line.

On 21 February, the EP Industry Committee (ITRE) voted against almost
all proposals for software patentability. The leading Parliamentary
Committee however, is JURI, and it seems a lot more in favour of
extensive patents on software. JURI will discuss the proposed new Patent
Directive on 17 March and vote on 23 April. The vote in plenary is now
scheduled for the session of 12-15 May.

                                      ====

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 godkanns").

"Det ar emellertid redan nu helt mojligt att i Finland bringa i kraft
en ansokan som innehaller programvarukrav, namligen genom att soka
patent direkt hos Europeiska patentverket. Sokandena hamnar i detta
hanseende i en ojamlik stallning om inte PRS andrar sin praxis. Nagra
hinder eller olagenheter for att PRS andrar sin praxis sa att den
motsvarar EPO:s nuvarande tolkning finns [a negation is missing here
- "inte"] med tanke pa varken bestammelserna 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
inconveniences for FIPTO to change its praxis in a way that it
corresponds to current EPO interpretation, neither from regulations or
examination."