Software patents approved by EU ministers¶

Bolkestein secures Slim Council Majority for EPO/US-style Patentability of Software. Yeah right, now we can have patents for "the use of a shopping cart icon in an webshop" and, if they harmonise the patents with Japan, "the use of software for educational purposes".

Morons. (Note that I normally don't use that term...) This is also a slap for the EU parliament, which voted in favour of a lot of amandments to the proposal, making it much more acceptable. But those amandments by the parliament have now been pushed aside. Democratic? Well, they have to vote on it one more time after the elections, which means another chance at overturning it.

And all thanks to our local Dutch mr. Bolkestein (from the "VVD" liberal party). And thanks to our local Dutch government ("CDA" christian democrats, "VVD" liberals and "D66" leftish liberals).

Yes, thanks a lot. Especially to Germany. The article calls them Germany, the Trojan Horse of Bolkestein in the Council, as they were the figurehead of the patent-opposers and suddenly were content with a small meaningless compromise and voted in favour of patents...

Only Belgium, Denmark, Italy and Austria refused to support the new text.

Dutch: stemmen in Nederland? ChristenUnie is tegen, Groen Links ongetwijfeld ook. Ik gok PvdA idem, maar kijk dat na. In een discussie elders zag ik dat veel tegenstanders voor de lokale groene partij gingen stemmen omdat die tenminste structureel tegen zijn. Niet dat ze het met de andere dingen eens zijn (anti-kernenergie werd genoemd), maar goed. (Ik ga ChristenUnie stemmen).