With the European Parliament poised to begin deliberating on software patents again, organizations on both sides of the argument are continuing to push their cases.
EICTA, the European Information and Communication Technology Association, wrote to the parliament"s legal committee this week, calling for the introduction of software patents. EICTA argued that patents would protect the investments made by European companies in research and development, protect jobs and encourage the sharing of information among companies.
"Europe is a prominent player in software-enabled inventions in many areas, such as health care, telecommunications, mobile phones, cars, aviation and consumer electronics. Europe needs patents to maintain and strengthen its leadership," wrote EICTA.