Stay alert, then. Software patents went close to become real in 2002, and come back regularly since then, pushed by a variety of lobbies and particularly large US software houses (Microsoft, Adobe, Oracle, IBM and friends).
So far they've been shot down every time by the Parliament. But the EU Patent Office, the EU administration in general and the Commission are all strongly in favor of software patents.
So far they've been shot down every time by the Parliament. But the EU Patent Office, the EU administration in general and the Commission are all strongly in favor of software patents.