Informant38

The Register The proposals from the European Union's policy body, which are designed to harmonize rules across member states, would set a standard that vendors will have to clear before they can secure a patent that is arguably much higher than that in the US.

Companies wishing to secure a patent on their software would be required to demonstrate their "invention" was more than just a "program as such" but actually made a "technical contribution to the state of the art".