European Software Patent Bill is rejected
On the 6th July, the European Parliament voted as follows on the Directive on the patentability of computer-implemented inventions. Read the article on wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Directive_on_the_patentability_of_computer-implemented_inventions
648 against, 18 for and 14 abstentions
Thus rejecting the proposal.
The bill was intended to remove individual EU nations patent systems in favour of a Europe wide common process and has been fiercely debated for a number of years. Patent applications will continue to be handled by individual, national patent offices.
Although the directive may have clarified and unified the patent system in Europe, opponents considered it would have been exploited in favour of large software companies wishing to patent software which would limit opportunities for small businesses and the future of open source developments.
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