So I come in this morning wondering what the result of the patent vote in the European Parliament yesterday was, and fearing the worst, to be met by cheering news. Not perfect -- the vote has still to happen -- but at least an indication that this isn't a done deal, that MEPs have noticed that they need to think about this one.
A June vote on the proposal was put back amid criticism by MEPs that the legislation would institute a U.S.-style patent atmosphere that would be detrimental to European small businesses and open-source software developers.
And, as a scan through any issue of Innovation and Technology Transfer will make clear, small business is the new big business in Europe.
Wired also covers the story.
While on the subject, I otice that Lessig quotes Mr. (presumably Bill) Gates:
"If people had understood how patents would be granted when most of today’s ideas were invented and had taken out patents, the industry would be at a complete stand-still today. The solution . . . is patent exchanges . . . and patenting as much as we can. . . . A future start-up with no patents of its own will be forced to pay whatever price the giants choose to impose. That price might be high: Established companies have an interest in excluding future competitors." Fred Warshofsky, The Patent Wars 170-71 (NY: Wiley 1994).
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