Euroopan innovaatiostrategiasta
23.05.2007
Innovation Strategy (debate)
Wednesday, 23 May 2007 - Strasbourg
Piia-Noora Kauppi (PPE-DE ), in writing . ??? Innovation in Europe is hampered by the absence of an adequate regime for protecting intellectual property rights. This much is clear. The report rightly stresses this point and calls for a number of improvements.
However, I believe we should go further in identifying the flaws in the current system, and be more ambitious about our proposed solutions. The report proposes incorporating the European Patent Office, presently an intergovernmental body outside the EU, into Community structures.
This is a welcome idea, albeit one that will take years to bring about. Bureaucracies do not merge easily, especially ones such as the EPO which have developed a questionable profit-making and unaccountable orientation. It grants patents too easily from the point of view of achieving broad-based innovation across the economy, which too often only serves the interests of the patent holders.
Therefore, in anticipation of a Community patent run, eventually, by an EU patent office, let me reiterate my support for the efforts of the Commission to enact medium-term pragmatic solutions, e.g. the European Patent Litigation Agreement. It is only a first step, but one that is badly needed for common rules to develop, and innovation to flourish. |
|
