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[FYI] Frits Bolkestein (Member of the European Commission) on SWPAT



<http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh?p_action.gettxt=gt& 
doc=SPEECH/01/247|0|RAPID&lg=EN>  

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Mr Frits Bolkestein Member of the European Commission in charge of 
the Internal Market Protection of intellectual property rights in the 
European Union Address to Irish Exporters' Association Dublin, 29 May 
2001  

DN: SPEECH/01/247     Date: 2001-05-29  


TXT: EN PDF: EN Word Processed: EN  

SPEECH/01/247  

Mr Frits Bolkestein  

Member of the European Commission in charge of the Internal Market  

Protection of intellectual property rights in the European Union  

Address to Irish Exporters' Association  

Dublin, 29 May 2001  

Ladies and Gentlemen,  

[...]

Software   

Recently, considerable debate has taken place in Europe about the 
patentability of software-related inventions. Some consider that 
patents in this field tend to stimulate innovation. Others believe 
that patents will, on the contrary, stifle fair competition and 
hinder innovation. In the Commission we are currently considering 
what is the best approach to follow. We are studying the results of a 
public consultation we launched on the subject. It is clear from the 
replies we have received that there is no support for moving to a 
very wide protection extending, for example to business methods, 
which is the approach which the US applies. Any action at EU level 
would therefore be limited to harmonising and codifying the existing 
practice of Member States and of the European Patent Office.   

[...]

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