EU Software Patent Law Moves Forward

The European Commission has rejected a demand from the EU Parliament to send a controversial bill allowing software patents back for a first reading. The first reading would restart the legislative process and allow for lawmakers to lessen the scope of what can be patented. Instead, the Commission expects to send the law through for a second review.

Representatives from Poland, which twice rejected the bill's adoption, now say they will remain quiet unless other countries voice objections. Spain and the Netherlands previously supported a restart. But EU officials expect the second reading to be approved without debate. "We have not seen any change of heart on the part of any EU member," an EU official told reporters on Friday.