Comments on: Software patents: understanding the procedure

By: Elaib

Elaib — Sun, 06 Mar 2005 13:39:00 +0000

I recently attended a seminar hosted by Michael Shackleton, head of the conciliation secretariat in the Parliament. We discussed the Patents directive, as it the only really contentious peice of legislation going through the system and there were a bunch of poles in the room.
He was very sanguine. In the time he has been inthe job (about 6 years) there have only been about 4 peieces of legislation that the process was unable to find a common position. From the flow chart one gets the feeling that there are equal likeihoods of outcome. That just isn’t the case.
What is interesting is the way the Commission feels that it has the power and the right to reject out of hand the Parliament’s position. There are quite a few bruised egos wandering around the building.

By: eulogist

eulogist — Wed, 02 Mar 2005 10:03:26 +0000

Theoretically, yes. But somehow I do not expect that to happen anymore after previous attempts have failed. Luxembourg especially would not have put it back on the agenda if it expected any difficulties.

By: Benjamin Henrion

Benjamin Henrion — Tue, 01 Mar 2005 19:31:33 +0000

The next step of the procedure is that another country will take it out on monday and request a B-item.