The European Commission is refusing to restart the legislative progress of the controversial European software patent directive.

In January, the Parliament - which unlike the Commission is elected, rather than appointed - voted (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/02/17/patent_restart/) to scrap the Commission's proposed Computer Implemented Inventions Directive (CIID).

The Commission has officially rebuffed a request by the European Parliament to start the process all over again, and instead will push on regardless.

According to Florian Mueller, Campaign Manager, NoSoftwarePatents.com, "A wannabe Napoleon who heads the Commission and a Microsoft puppet that runs the DG (directorate general) in charge have decided to negate democracy."

But from a procedural point of view, the Commission holds all the cards. It can choose to decline the request from the Parliament and the European Conference of Presidents, in which case last May's controversial bill moves to a second reading.®

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