El Fri, Oct 03, 2003 at 12:07:31PM +0200, Hartmut Pilch deia:
> 
> It seems harmless to me at first sight.
>

Me too.

I don't understand the EPC enough to judge it, but I have found no problem.

According to this (if it gets passed), Community Patents would be handled under
Community law, explicitely including the COM(02)92 directive on software patents, 
so that there is certain circular reference if the directive, as amended by 
EP referes to EPC and EPC refers to the directive. But I don't think it is 
a problem. It simply means the directive should be passed with a good text or not 
passed at all, so no news. 

Of course the EP concern on financing of the EPO is not vey much addressed (it
still says in art 39a that EPO keeps at least 50% of patent fees, and as much 
as the Select Committee allows). 

The composition of the Select Committee is perhaps too member-state influenced, 
and it is not clear to me how the EC designates a representative, I would like 
EP to be represented. It is also not clear to me how do they decide whether the 
member states or the EC vote in each case in the Administrative Council.

But nothing to do with software patents anyway.

-- 
- jo també vull una Europa lliure de patents de programari  -
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 EuropeSwPatentFree - http://EuropeSwPatentFree.hispalinux.es
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Xavi Drudis Ferran
xdrudis@tinet.org