Cordis News EU: MEPs vote to tighten up rules on patentability of computerised inventions

[James Heald <j.heald@ucl.ac.uk>]

(CORDIS = Community Research and Development Information Service, funded
by the Commission).


MEPs vote to tighten up rules on patentability of computerised
inventions
[Date: 2003-06-18]

http://dbs.cordis.lu/cgi-bin/srchidadb?CALLER=NHP_EN_NEWS&ACTION=D&SESSION=&RCN=EN_RCN_ID:20436


MEPs in the European Parliament's legal affairs committee have given
their support to a proposal from the Commission on the patentability of
computer implemented inventions.

Such inventions do not cover ordinary software programs, but rather
solutions for devices such as mobile phones, intelligent household
appliances, engine control devices, machine tools and computer program
related inventions.

The committee approved the draft legislation on 17 June by 20 votes to
8, but a number of amendments were made to the original text with the
aim of clarifying and tightening up the wording of the proposed
directive.

The committee decided that, in order to be patentable, a computerised
invention should involve a technologically inventive step and have a
clear industrial application. Furthermore, MEPs argued that a
computerised invention should not be regarded as making a technical
contribution just because it involves the use of computer technology,
otherwise patents could be granted for every simple computer program.

The committee also requested that the Commission produce a report in the
future on how the new directive has been taken into account by the
European Patent Office and whether the European Patent Convention should
be revised.

A final amendment calls on the Commission to monitor the impact of the
legislation on small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).

To read the Commission's proposal, please consult the following web
address:
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/com/pdf/2002/en_502PC0092.pdf

Category: General policy
Data Source Provider: European Parliament
Document Reference: Based on information from the European Parliament
Subject Index : Information Processing, Information Systems; Innovation,
Technology Transfer; Economic Aspects

RCN: 20436

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