The EU Commission announced on June 25 that EIF/2.0 (The European Interoperability Framework which defines the rules for software used in e-Government) will hold the line as regards patents on standards. This means that patents will not be tolerated as part of open standards ( well duh!!! ). But apparently the Americans don’t get it or are just protecting their profiteering multinationals ( perhaps both ). The BSA and ACT, both spokesmen for American software vendors, indicate that not being allowed to impose patents on open software, will lead to ‘one business model being imposed over another” – this from companies whose own government has acknowledged the detrimental effect of patents on innovation and is currently in a process of patent reform.
These firms have claimed that EU firms need patents to survive. A recent EU-sponsored study had to go to Israel to find any companies that have patents in this area – well that puts this claim in the bin. EU companies have a thriving and advanced market for software based on open standards. Free market apparently has a different meaning in the US. Companies ( especially the big American anti-competitive ones ) need to wake up and smell the roses. There’s a worldwide shift in software design, distribution and sales, that’s happening right under your feet. Get with the program or you’ll be going the way of the dodo.