The European Parliament will devastate the continent's small and medium-sized businesses if it adopts legislation that will force firms to apply for patent protection on all software they develop
Published:
19 September 2003 y., Friday
This picture of impending catastrophe is painted by the European Small Business Alliance (ESBA), a newly formed SME lobby, which was recently created by the merger of three federations about which we know little or nothing: CEA-PME (Confédération Européenne des Associations de Petites et Moyennes Entreprises), CEDI (European Confederation of Independents - Confédération Européenne Des Indépendants) and ESBA (European Small Business Alliance).
While the EU's controversial US-style Directive on the Patentability of Computer- Implemented Inventions is undoubtedly a cause for legitimate and serious concern - particularly among smaller European firms - we cannot help wondering if the pressure group's prophecies of doom amount to over-egging the software legislation pudding just a tad.
The group chillingly predicts that all European small business innovation will grind to a halt if the proposed legislation is adopted in place of the currently applicable copyright laws.
"The alliance rejects the proposed, since this proposal strongly runs contrary to the interests of European software-snterprises. Should the European Parliament adapt this proposal without any changes, the European economy will be threatened with the loss of thousands of jobs, a dramatic decline in innovation and even the stop of innovation for SMEs."
Šaltinis:
theregister.co.uk
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.
The most popular articles
An aviation agreement has been signed today by the European Union and the Vietnamese authorities which will remove nationality restrictions in the bilateral air services agreements between EU Member States and Vietnam.
more »
The European Investment Bank marked the 50th anniversary of the Republic of Cyprus and its 30 years of activity in the country with a public ceremony celebrating the signature of a total of EUR 180 million for urban environment.
more »
In response to the financial crisis, the Commission has put forward legislative proposals to strengthen and expand existing tools for coordinating economic and fiscal policy in the EU.
more »
In the first meeting of the SME Finance Forum, possible means to improve the current situation of access to finance were discussed, such as the introduction of a grace period for firms in difficulties, the involvement of credit mediators and improved loan guarantees.
more »
The EU budget is no simple matter, but then no budget ever is.
more »
Parliament will be crucial in avoiding a “lowest common denominator” approach when helping to design the EU's new economic governance architecture, ECB president Jean-Claude Trichet told the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee on Monday.
more »
With a multitude of language-related events taking place on or around 26 September, the main themes for this year's European Day of Languages are business and jobs.
more »
The EU disbursed today € 1.15 billion to Romania, the third instalment of a € 5 billion loan, which was agreed in May 2009 as part of a multilateral financial assistance package.
more »
The European Investment Bank has agreed to lend GBP250 million for the replacement, reinforcement and expansion of the gas distribution networks operated by Scotland Gas Networks and Southern Gas Networks.
more »
The bargaining positions of all players in the human food chain must be rebalanced, and fair competition enforced by law, to ensure fair returns to farmers and price transparency to consumers, says Parliament in a resolution voted on Tuesday.
more »