07/05/2003 (Agence Europe) - On 8 May the Greens/EFA group at the European Parliament are organising a conference on the subject of patents for software and European SMEs. The conference will be opened by Daniel Cohn-Bendit. A press statement indicates that software is currently protected by copyright although moves are underway for a European directive to legalise patents on software. The press statement highlights that patents favour huge companies that can afford a legal department, therefor harming small and medium-sized enterprises that can afford a legal section and which can penalise SMEs, which are the main innovators in this area. the Greens point out that patents are expensive and are granted slowly and for a long period, while the cycle of software is short.