How to Answer

Deadline and Requesting an Extension

  • The deadline for answers which will be included in the analysis of this consultation and the subsequent debate with the European Parliament (on 13 June 2006) is postponed to 12 April 2006.

  • At a meeting on 17 March 2006 between Erik Nooteboom of the Commission, and FFII President Pieter Hintjens, Mr Nooteboom said the Commission will accept late answers (up to one month late).
  • If you are investing heavily in your answer, we advise you to immediately send a written letter to the Commission, at the address below, explaining that you need more time and requesting an extension for your reply.

Step 1

Step 2

  • If you have no time, copy/paste the example answer, starting from 1.1 to 5.5.

  • If you are in a real hurry, you can answer only some of the questions. It is better to answer a single point in your own words and with reference to your business, than to cut and paste the example answers.

  • If you have more time, read the example answers and use these as the basis to write your own answers.

  • If you want to fully understand the issues, review the questions of the EU consultation document, read our analysis and background information, and write your answers based on our analysis.

  • In question 5, be careful with the 1-10 scale.

Step 3

  • Add these questions and provide your answers (this is asked at the end of the Commission's questionnaire): 

(1)
(a) Are you replying as a citizen / individual or on behalf of an organisation?
(b) The name of your organisation/contact person:
(c) Your email address:
(d) Your postal address:
(e) Your organisation’s website (if available):

(2) 
(a) In which Member State do you reside / are your activities principally located?
(b) Are you involved in cross-border activity?
(c) If you are a company: how many employees do you have?
(d) What is your area of activity?
(e) Do you own any patents? If yes, how many? Are they national / European patents?
(f) Do you license your patents?
(g) Are you a patent licensee?
(h) Have you been involved in a patent dispute?
(i) Do you have any other experience with the patent system in Europe?

You also may want to ask the Commission to keep your personal data confidential.

Step 4

  • Send your email.

  • If you can afford the time, write-up your email as a letter, print it out and send it by paper mail to: Mr Erik Nooteboom, Head of Unit, Industrial Property Unit, Internal Market and Services Directorate General, European Commission, 1049 Brussels, Belgium.

Step 5

  • At your option, contact companies you know who may be interested in the subject of software patents, and ask them to participate in the Commission's consultation via http://consultation.ffii.org/.

Step 6

Thanks for participating!

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