Round 2 - ding, ding

Our very own Charlie has once again thrown his hat into the ring on the software patenting issue calling for a renewed effort to create a pan-european patenting system.

Well that didn't take long did it. So what's going on? The resurrection of a Community Patent was an effort to create a european-wide patenting system, currently you can take out EU patent, but you have to designate the states to enforce it in and this goes through national courts, which adds to the time and cost. This stalled last time during Ireland's presidency when people couldn't agree publication language position. So is this to be used as a new stalking horse? Well not initially according to Charlie.

What is interesting from the speech, is that the anti-patent / pro-innovation camp are being effectively lumped in with groups that oppose economic reforms (currently very hot debate in Europe given the ailing 10% unemployment economies of France and Germany). This is pure spin. It is a bit rich that a EU commissioner for the internal market, charged with liberalizing the market and dismantling of protectionist measures, should be supporting the extension of protectionist monopolies on software development. In whose interest is that?

Here are some previous quotes attributed to Charlie from an earlier interview:

"A row over software patents is linked to bitter opposition over EU economic liberalisation and to broader anti-free market sentiment"

"The theme, or the background music, to both of these particular directives you could see as part of, anti-globalisation, anti-Americanism, anti-big business protests"

It really doesn't seem likely that he actually has the wrong end of the stick here, so I guess this spin is intentional.

What is really galling is that no lobby has emerged in Ireland to counter this argument. The ICT and ISA effectively have the stage to themselves and thus the keys to government policy / FF policy.

What would be interesting is to know is just how many software companies in Ireland are actually pro-software patents? Does the ICT ever canvass members? I imagine that most indigenous Irish companies are turning away from the idea of software patents (there were briefly popular, but that time has passed), but I have only anecdotal evidence on which to base this belief.

What would also be nice is a simple site that presents both sides of the directive debate, much like the electionTruth sites that channel 4 and the independent were running during the recent British election. Something that presents the arguments in clear unspun form so that people can make up their own minds.