MUNICH - The European Union Commissioner for the Internal Market and Services, Charlie McGreevy, launched an initiative on January 16, 2006 to establish a consistent European patent system, a move which would reopen the debate on the desirability of software patents, according to combined news agencies.
As part of his initiative, the Commissioner launched a public consultation on how future action in patent policy to create an EU-wide patent system could take into account "stakeholders’ needs."
With his thrust, McGreevy invited European citizens as well as commercial enterprises to participate in an Internet consultation that will run until March 31, 2006. The results of the Internet debate are set to be the basis for a hearing on the issue scheduled for June 13, 2006.
Many large international enterprises have voiced their interest in software patents, saying it would provide for consistency across the technology domain and provide protection to software firms. However, a draft directive related to this issue was dismissed by the European Parliament last summer.