ON THE FFII EUROPEAN PATENT CONFERENCE
BY JONATHAN ZUCK, PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR COMPETITIVE TECHNOLOGY
Today at a Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure (FFII) conference, participants discussed the European patent system. The Association for Competitive Technology (ACT) believes it is important to have high standard patents to allow innovation in all sectors. ACT is calling for fewer patents, but this should be accomplished through higher patent quality across all fields (including software patents). Jonathan Zuck, President of ACT: “We agree that the patent system is ripe for reform. But the real answer to preventing undesirable patents while increasing innovation is to improve patent quality, not ban the patentability of certain types of technology.”
ACT believes that a harmonized patent system across the EU is necessary to allow for accessibility, predictability and simplification. In this light, the European Patent Litigation Agreement (EPLA) would promote legal certainty by setting up a unified court system to judge the validity and infringement of European patents. This replaces the need to defend a patent in several European countries and reduces litigation costs. Such a system would be more accessible, particularly to SMEs. According to Zuck: “EPLA would greatly enhance legal certainty and reduce patent costs for innovative SMEs. It’s misguided to think that SMEs are harmed by a strong patent system. ACT member companies have greatly benefited from their patenting activity. There is ample evidence that increased patent accessibility is a key driver of innovation. Both proprietary and open source software firms can thrive if patent offices raise the bar on patent quality and improve access for SMEs.”
The Association for Competitive Technology (ACT) is an international education and advocacy group for the technology industry. Focusing on the interests of small and mid-size entrepreneurial technology companies, ACT advocates for a “Healthy Tech Environment” that promotes innovation, competition and investment. ACT has been active on issues such as intellectual property, international trade, e-commerce, privacy, internet policy and antitrust. ACT represents more than 3000 software developers, systems integrators, IT consulting and training firms, and e-businesses from around the world.
For more information:
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Jonathan Zuck |
Susanne Kiefer |
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Association for Competitive Technology |
Blueprint Partners |
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Tel: +1 202 331 2130 |
Tel: +32 2 289 09 47 |
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GSM: +1 202 256 14 57 |
GSM: +32 485 761 370 |