[Free-sklyarov-uk] Letter from Frits Bolkenstein on software patents

[Jonathan Riddell]

A wee while ago I sent a rant about software patents to my MEPs and it got
into the hands of Frits Bolkenstein the Commissioner in charge of these
things who kindly replied.

Mostly it's just him pointing out the mistakes in my badly researched
letter but I was wondering if the list had any suggestions for a reply.

He says that the propsal will not make anything patentable which was not
already patentable - is that true?  He also says that mathematical
algorithms will not be patentable, but I seem to mind that the EPO has
passed some crypto algorithms.

The reply letter, along with one from the a Tory going by the handle of
`Lord' Inglewood (which basicly just agrees with the directive) is at
http://jriddell.org/eu-patents-letters.text

Thanks for any comments

Jonathan Riddell