(Fwd) [Freesw] Re: [Patents] EUROPEAN BOARD VOTES TO ALLOW SOF

["Axel H Horns" <horns@ipjur.com>]

------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent:      	Wed, 13 Sep 2000 23:05:22 +0100
From:           	Steve Probert <steve.probert@patent.gov.uk>
To:             	freesw@conecta.it, eurolinux@eurolinux.org, patents@liberte.aful.org
Subject:        	[Freesw] Re: [Patents] EUROPEAN BOARD VOTES TO ALLOW SOFTWARE PATENTS
Send reply to:  	freesw@conecta.it

>......But note that the votes of the 3 countries above, unhoped for
>not so
> long ago, show that we can lobby effectively on these issues.

Time for a note of caution.  The UK position, clearly stated prior to
the vote being taken, is that it would be premature to amend the EPC
until we know the outcome of the Commission's deliberations on the
subject.   As most people already know, the Commission is expected to
produce a proposal on the subject of software patents imminently. 
Consequently, the UK delegation did not express an opinion either way
on the substance of the amendment.  Rather the UK voted that the
amendment should not be put to the November Conference.

Steve Probert
(Deputy Director, UK Patent Office)



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