Toine Manders and Software Patents
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Toine Manders, "intellectual property expert" of the European Parliament's Liberal (ALDE/ELDR) group, member of the Bolkestein party (VVD) from the Netherlands, habitually sides with lobbies that favor stronger enforcement of the broadest possible "intellectual property" rights. When such a position becomes indefensible within the EP Liberal group, Manders tries to take an approach of rejecting it on procedural or other formalistic grounds.
News & Chronology
2005-07-02 Pro-SWPat MEP Manders now fears coming vote and seeks rejection
2004-11-10 Manders files motion for Council to officialise Software Patent Agreement as soon as possible
2004-07-01 NL Parliament Motion calling for Reversal of Council Agreement supported by all parties except VVD
2004-05-18 Council reaches Political Agreement on Software Patents
2004-02-00 Manders fights hard in favor of IPR enforcement directive
- 2004-09-00 Manders fights hard for Bolkestein line on software patent directive but is forced to compromise.
- 2004-06-17 Manders recommends both an amendment in favor of program claims and one in favor of freedom of publication to his party in JURI vote, with the result that freedom of publication isn't put to vote because program claims are (correctly) thought of by JURI as excluding the latter. In other words: Manders uses legal tricks to fool his party group into supporting a pro-patent line which they don't want to support.
Outline
lawyer with affection for "IP", convinced of superior wisdom of the judiciary, likes to criticise legislation from formalistic points of view when it becomes clear that his party isn't favoring this legislation, similar to Rothley
- in favor of program claims and most of what EPO does
- recommended both program claims and freedom of publication to his party in JURI vote of 2003/06/17 with the result that freedom of publication wasn't even put to vote because program claims were thought of by JURI as excluding the latter
- had to compromise with Plooij line of ITRE when drafting recommendations for swpat directive vote of 2003/09/24
promoted IPR Enforcement Directive as liberal shadow rapporteur