Future Developments concerning Software Patents

Although the software patent agreement of 2004-05-18 no longer enjoys the support of a legitimated majority of governments, efforts to push it through one of the next Council sessions will continue. The Dutch government is even said to have offered to do what it considers its "finish-up job" on behalf of Luxemburg in January. This would mean passing as an A-item in January based on the assumption that all countries agree.

Indeed Poland has not formally filed a note of disagreement with the Council so far, and article 3 of the Council's rules, which served as a reason for delay at the Agriculture and Fishery Meeting in December, will then no longer be citable. The Dutch government, by continuing to support the Agreement of May 18th, is violating the Dutch parliament's motion of last July; the minister in charge, Laurens Jan Brinkhorst is defying the parliament.

Simultaneously, a group of members of the European Parliament is preparing for a restart of the procedure in case the Council continues to be unwilling to do its homework. "Homework" should mean: analyse the interests at stake, read the Parliament's proposed solution and formulate responses that show at least some willingness to understand and appreciate.

• Presidency Website
• 2005-01-02 LU/EU Council Presidency Priorities: Promote Patents, Conclude Software Directive in 2005
• Important EC meeting dates (pdf)

  2005-01-18	Economy & Finance Council (Ecofin)
  2005-01-24	Agriculture & Fishery Council
  2005-01-31	General Affairs and External Relations
  2005-03-07/08	Competitiveness Council