US-style software patent law rejected by Europe

THE European Parliament has rejected a law on patents for software, ending a three-year effort by companies including Nokia Oyj and Siemens AG to counter US domination of Europe’s $60 billion (€50.3bn) market.

The parliament in Strasbourg, France, yesterday voted 648 to 14 to throw out a draft law protecting inventions that combine software and machinery, such as code that reduces battery consumption on mobile phones.

The assembly opposed US-style limits on public use of software and ruled out a compromise with EU governments which endorsed the law in March.