Thursday, July 7, 2005

MEPs kills software patents bill

See, there is a good thing with the MEPs after all the fiasco regarding software patents that the EC has thrown at them. All 25 member states has agreed on the bill, only for it to be killed by the parliament. According to the BBC:
European politicians have thrown out a controversial bill that could have led to software being patented.

The European Parliament voted 648 to 14 to reject the Computer Implemented Inventions Directive.

The bill was reportedly rejected because, politicians said, it pleased no-one in its current form.

Responding to the rejection the European Commission said it would not draw up or submit any more versions of the original proposal.
Victory!

More here:

Slashdot.org: EU Says No to Software Patents

Groklaw: EU Software Patent Last-Minute News

Wired News: European Patent Law Rejected

eWeek: EU Rejects Controversial Software Patents Proposal

Samizdata: European Parliament stands up for innovation

Regarding the 2012 Olympics. After seeing today's papers I wished London haven't won it. The gloating on some of the papers are too unbearable. The Daily Star proclaimed that 'the Becks factor wins it'. What bollocks. London would have won regardless of Beckham. All he did in Singapore was self-promotion and exhibiting his patronising behaviour. The only national' tabloid paper to ignore the Olympics is the Morning Star communist paper, who chose to instead continue with the issue of G8 march and the police's attempt to stop it.

Of the broadsheets (or quality compacts as some has insists), The Daily Telegraph had the worst looking front page with a huge Union Jack super imposed over a background of celebrating pictures. The Guardian instead chose to use just half of the front spread with a picture of celebrating revelers at Trafalgar Square. Both The Independent and The Times curiously used the same picture in their almost full front page spread.

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