The Commission said it had received about 2,000 replies to its January 2006 request for comments on ways to improve the current patent system in Europe, and said the next step will be a public hearing to take place in Brussels on July 12.
The EC said 40 selected stakeholders representing the balance of opinion in the written replies will speak on the issues raised during the hearing, while there will also be time for an open debate and a presentation from the president of the European Patent Office, professor Alain Pompidou.
Internal market and services commissioner Charlie McCreevy launched the public consultation in January, calling on businesses and individuals to enter into a debate on ways to improve the current patent system in Europe, and explore possible areas for harmonization across the EU.
McCreevy is keen to push forward the long-delayed Community Patent initiative, which is designed to reduce the number of languages required for an application and decrease applications costs, thereby increasing the competitiveness of the European patent system against the US.
The consultation has also addressed the European Patent Litigation Agreement, which would see the creation of a European Patent Court that would have jurisdiction over the validity and infringement of European patents.
Anti-software patent campaigners have warned in that the Community Patent could allow software patents by the back door if current European Patent Office case law is applied.
