Re: mp3 encoding patents.
On Thu, Sep 14, 2000 at 12:48:13AM +0200, Bart Schuller wrote:
> Speaking for the Netherlands: you can't patent maths/software here.
> European patents are also not automatically valid here, you still have
> to apply for the patent. However, there's a fast track for european
> patents, so the application could just be a formality. What happens if
> such a formality clashes with the local laws is an interesting question.
The situation is a bit better than that. In the Netherlands, patents
*don't apply* to computer programs (among other things). So the patents
are valid, there's no conflict, they're just more limited in scope
than in some other jurisdictions.
(Disclaimer: I'm not a lawyer, I just asked a Dutch lawyer once and he
showed me the relevant section.)
Richard Braakman
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