"Program claims"

• Explicitly patents program: "Computer program, characterized by that..."
• Program code on a diskette or in the Internet would be direct patent violation
• Allowed by EPO since 1998
• EPO interpretation: a program that has a technical effect is not a program "as such" and thus is patentable, and even effects on computer resources (memory usage, speed) are considered "technical" (as well as "processing technical data" &c)
• Not allowed by Commissions original proposal, Parliament excluded explicitly, Council added in its "compromise"