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  Chargone (profile), Jul 18th, 2012 @ 11:51pm

  
  

  *ponders* wasn't part of the point in patents to AVOID the whole 'trade secret' idea on important stuff like this?
  
  eesh.

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  Anonymous Coward, Jul 19th, 2012 @ 1:03am

  
  

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  This reminds me when I was a kid and saw for the first time an advert saying "free course" I didn't know at the time that the "free course" didn't mean free, but that you had to buy the books from the training company, my father laughed at my inexperience.
  
  I see those claims that patents are to help spread knowledge the same way, just lies, damn lies.
  
  :)

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  Anonymous Coward, Jul 19th, 2012 @ 1:06am

  
  

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  This is exactly why I prefer the DIY approach, if you want it done correctly we shouldn't let others do it for us.
  
  This is the same reason countries strive to not get dependent on others, it is a mistake to give up something and have nothing to leverage after, pharma companies have no competitors besides themselves and that is starting to become a problem to everyone.

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  Mason Wheeler, Jul 19th, 2012 @ 8:06am

  
  

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  Yes, that was exactly the point of patents. Destroy the trade secret, put an end to the loss of useful information when a skilled craftsman died without passing it on that has held the progress of mankind back for millennia, by requiring inventors to publish the details of things they invented. And when it's been used correctly instead of abused, it's been an incredibly successful system. Unfortunately, today we've got the tail wagging the dog.

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  Anonymous Coward, Jul 19th, 2012 @ 2:28am

  
  

  "Openness is really beginning to sweep through the European Union at all levels."
  
  Sort of wishful thinking. There are proposals, but there aren't many passed laws. Lots of talk, but any action? Not really. Europe and the European Union is just way to tied in knots for anything to happen.

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  The eejit (profile), Jul 19th, 2012 @ 2:51am

  
  

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  Maybe...
  
  I'm more inclined to consdier the possibility that people are actually seeing the possibilities of openness.

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  Anonymous Coward, Jul 19th, 2012 @ 3:16am

  
  

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  I just think that if this was somewhere else besides Europe, it might have legs. But the European Union and all it's parts don't work together well at all, and in fact they seem to be at odds with each other at every turn.
  
  One group proposes openness as another group passes a privacy law, if you know what I mean.
  
  They have spent so long chasing their tails on almost every issue that it's hard to take them seriously. It's also hard to see who (if anyone) has the power, clearly the EU doesn't seem to have all that much influence on member states.

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  Anonymous Coward, Jul 19th, 2012 @ 4:38am

  
  

  Re: Re: Re:

  This is however, coming out of the commission, a more direct line to the governments of the member nations rather than the Parliament which is elected by the people and therefore accountable to them and not to the member governments.
  Given the commission's support of ACTA etc, it's interesting that they are even talking about openness in anything.

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  abc gum, Jul 19th, 2012 @ 5:19am

  
  

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  "I just think that if this was somewhere else besides Europe, it might have legs. But the European Union and all it's parts don't work together well at all, and in fact they seem to be at odds with each other at every turn."
  
  
  Yes, because things work so smoothly elsewhere. For example, the US congress over the past four years has been the most productive congress ever - right?

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  Anonymous Coward, Jul 19th, 2012 @ 5:36am

  
  

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  I wasn't talking about inefficiency, rather that the European system currently has way too many heads, way too many ruling bodies, way too many overlapping and contradictory laws and rulings. It's hard to imagine if something IS passed that any of the member countries would actually follow.
  
  Did I do a better job of explain it?

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  abc gum, Jul 19th, 2012 @ 6:43am

  
  

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  Good explanation of your comment, however - I remain unconvinced that the EU has more heads, ruling bodies, overlapping and contradictory laws than any other country, republic, kingdom, whatever. Not sure why Eurobashing is so chic these days.

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  John Fenderson (profile), Jul 19th, 2012 @ 9:35am

  
  

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  There are proposals, but there aren't many passed laws. Lots of talk, but any action?

  
  
  But all laws start with proposals. At least Europe is getting that far. It's better than the US is doing.

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  Anonymous Coward, Jul 19th, 2012 @ 3:30am

  
  

  when the main reason for all of these type of 'trade agreements' (SOPA, ACTA, TPP etc) is to protect the monopolies of US companies and industries, benefiting the rest of the world very little, i understand this move by the EU. i am a bit surprised that they have shown some balls though but it's about time the US was stood up to and made to realise it is not the only nation on the planet and it is certainly not always the best, not by a long chalk!

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  abc gum, Jul 19th, 2012 @ 5:25am

  
  

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  But ... american exceptionalism says we are the greatest ever!

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  Modplan (profile), Jul 19th, 2012 @ 4:59am

  
  

  I remember a story a long time ago about a trade agreement between the EU and South Korea:
  
  http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110221/02392413184/eu-follows-us-steps-signs-free-trade -agreement-with-korea-thats-all-about-ip-protectionism.shtml
  
  It stated that such data cannot be used, with no distinction between public or private data, so I wander how that'll be affected. Only reason I remember is because I wrote about it /selfpromotion.

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  Andrew F (profile), Jul 19th, 2012 @ 2:51pm

  
  

  Lives

  Reminds me of this: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120625/19574119473/protected-to-death-how-medical-privacy-laws-he lped-kill-25000-people.shtml
  
  Having lots of data available is crucial to evaluating, for example, if an anti-inflammatory drug is really giving people heart attacks.

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