IT industry issues from Intellect - read our blog...
Intellect's Concept Viability Service The Office of Government Commerce, the Government CIO Council and the National Audit Office all recommend early engagement with industry
06/07/05
Intellect welcomes MEPs rejection of CII directive
Intellect welcomed today's decision from the European Parliament to reject the proposed Directive on the patentability of computer-implemented inventions (CII). This decision will ensure that UK companies, both large and small, will continue to benefit from the current levels of patent protection available across Europe. 648 out of 680 MEPs rejected the Directive. The rejection attained cross-party support.
Commenting on the outcome of today’s vote, John Higgins, Director General of Intellect said: "This is a clear and positive decision by EU parliamentarians, which has avoided introducing damaging new legislation narrowing patentability, leaving in place the existing legal framework. The current system has served the interests of the UK high-tech industry well, giving companies both large and small the incentive to invest in research and the ability to protect the fruits of their work from exploitation by others."
"We will continue to make the case for CII patents, particularly their important role in protecting innovation, encouraging R&D and securing UK jobs. European Institutions, national governments and industry have worked hard and constructively on the issue of CII patents for some time. Although we would have welcomed the opportunity to harmonise and clarify the existing arrangements into one European framework, we will continue to support efforts to find broader improvements to the European patent system, particularly for smaller companies for whom patent protection is so vital." Press contact:
Press Office T 020 7331 2168 E This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Full name Contact telephone number Publication (publications if you are a freelance writer) Areas of interest
