Nota de Prensa del Partido Socialista Europeo ante la EPLA

Adjunto textualmente la Nota de Prensa que el Partido Socialista Europeo ha publicado en referencia a la EPLA y la nueva maniobra para aprobar las odiables Patentes. Agradecer de nuevo el magnífico trabajo de Alberto Barrionuevo al frente de esta movilización y la información que me ha enviado.

News - focus 20/09/2006
Outrage as McCreevy exposes firms to risk of €415,000 legal bills.European Commissioner Charlie McCreevy was today, 20 September,attacked for supporting new patent rules that will heap extra costsand risks on small businesses.
Outrage as McCreevy exposes firms to risk of €415,000 legal bills.European Commissioner Charlie McCreevy was today, 20 September,attacked for supporting new patent rules that will heap extra costsand risks on small businesses.
Firms embroiled in patent litigation could face bills of €97,000 to€415,000 for medium-scale action, under the McCreevy scheme, saidsenior Socialist Euro MPs.
The Socialist MEPs will next week table a motion in Strasbourg toscrap the McCreevy plan for a new Munich-based court system to overseepatent law. The system would be outside the reach of both theEuropean Parliament and the Court of Justice.
The Socialist move comes one year after the European Parliamentrejected proposals from the Commission and Council for a softwarepatent bill.
The Socialist motion, tabled by former French Prime Minister MichelRocard and Austrian social democrat leader in the European Parliament,who is group spokeswoman on legal affairs, Maria Berger, calls for"balance between the interests of patent holders and the broaderpublic interest in innovation and competitive markets."
The motion criticises Mr McCreevy's support for a European Patent LitigationAgreement (EPLA), founded outside the scope of the EU institutions, asweakening EU democracy. The MEPs claim creation of the EPLA wouldundermine judicial independence, increase litigation costs and exposesmall- and medium-sized businesses to greater risks.
Said Ms Berger: "Patent applications filed at the European PatentOffice have increased by 60 per cent every year over the last sevenyears. This does not reflect an increase in innovation. Instead itraises concern over the creation of a thicket of patents and the useof patents as a substitute for real innovation."
Mr Rocard said: "It is unacceptable to create a non-EU legal systemcomplete with a non-EU court to deal with patent legislation. Onlyan EU framework can produce the conditions that we need for effective,democratic control over Europe's patent law at international level."

Queda claro que el grupo socialista en bloque se opone frontalmente a la EPLA y que son los populares y liberales (actualmente los que tienen mayoría en la eurocámara) los que están apoyándola. Espero que la próxima vez que haya elecciones europeas nos planteemos más seriamente que también son importantes, y no se vuelvan a repetir los tristes índices de participación, porque luego pasa lo que pasa. Lamentablemente ahora mismo no podemos hacer otra cosa que presionar a nuestros políticos, para que como ocurrió la última vez, no se dejen presionar por las grandes multinacionales.