A patent has been granted for secure electronic voter
registration – or e-voting – that applies to 14 European countries.
Meanwhile, an EU vote on a software patent directive has been
postponed because of controversy over what should and should not be
eligible for the monopoly right.
E-voting has its critics. On 20th June, Britain's Electoral
Reform Society issued a statement that dismissed the concept of
voting by internet, telephone, digital TV or text messaging as a
means of raising turnout.
The Government had piloted e-voting in recent local elections –
but according to the Society, the pilots flopped. "The average
turnout in councils which piloted e-voting methods actually fell by
1.5%," said Chief Executive Ken Ritchie.
But if e-voting has its sceptics, software patents are much more
controversial. On Monday, the European Parliament was due to vote
on a software patents directive that promises to harmonise the
rules for "computer-implemented inventions" throughout Europe. At
the last minute, the vote was delayed until 1st September amid
fears that there has been insufficient time for MEPs to consider
the implications of the draft law.
Critics condemn the proposed law, saying it would stifle
innovation.
The US has a famously liberal approach to the grant of patents
for software and business methods. Europe is much more
conservative, and many fear the consequences of taking the US
direction – which they say is written into the draft legislation.
Others say that the draft does not go far enough – that businesses
are not afforded the right to patents which are needed to protect
their R&D investments.
Meanwhile, VoteNow's European Patent has slipped through the
hysteria, being granted for a "Method, Article and Apparatus for
Registering Registrants, Such as Voter Registrants." It applies to
14 European countries, including the United Kingdom, France,
Germany and Sweden.
The patent covers the secure registration and authentication of
voters using the digital credentials common to public key
cryptography infrastructures in conjunction with live ink
signatures, and/or other acceptable authentication and eligibility
data, to establish the identity and eligibility of a voter.
This process promotes the use of existing public key
infrastructure to register voters for both poll site and remote
electronic voting. The registration technology also makes
allowances for election officials to issue digital credentials to
voters where the use of a public key infrastructure may not be
present or widespread in use.
By integrating public key cryptography technology into an
electronic database of securely registered voters, the process
allows for the authentication of digitally signed ballots submitted
electronically by voters in the poll site or remotely.
The complete patent description and claims are available
here
Bellevue, Washington-based VoteHere Inc. has been selling its
e-voting technology for use in over 80 elections since 1999 in the
US and Europe and yesterday announced that it has been granted the
European Patent.
E-voting has its critics. On 20th June, Britain's Electoral
Reform Society issued a statement that dismissed the concept of
voting by internet, telephone, digital TV or text messaging as a
means of raising turnout.
The Government had piloted e-voting in recent local elections –
but according to the Society, the pilots flopped. "The average
turnout in councils which piloted e-voting methods actually fell by
1.5%," said Chief Executive Ken Ritchie.
But if e-voting has its sceptics, software patents are much more
controversial. On Monday, the European Parliament was due to vote
on a software patents directive that promises to harmonise the
rules for "computer-implemented inventions" throughout Europe. At
the last minute, the vote was delayed until 1st September amid
fears that there has been insufficient time for MEPs to consider
the implications of the draft law.
Critics condemn the proposed law, saying it would stifle
innovation.
The US has a famously liberal approach to the grant of patents
for software and business methods. Europe is much more
conservative, and many fear the consequences of taking the US
direction – which they say is written into the draft legislation.
Others say that the draft does not go far enough – that businesses
are not afforded the right to patents which are needed to protect
their R&D investments.
Meanwhile, VoteNow's European Patent has slipped through the
hysteria, being granted for a "Method, Article and Apparatus for
Registering Registrants, Such as Voter Registrants." It applies to
14 European countries, including the United Kingdom, France,
Germany and Sweden.
The patent covers the secure registration and authentication of
voters using the digital credentials common to public key
cryptography infrastructures in conjunction with live ink
signatures, and/or other acceptable authentication and eligibility
data, to establish the identity and eligibility of a voter.
This process promotes the use of existing public key
infrastructure to register voters for both poll site and remote
electronic voting. The registration technology also makes
allowances for election officials to issue digital credentials to
voters where the use of a public key infrastructure may not be
present or widespread in use.
By integrating public key cryptography technology into an
electronic database of securely registered voters, the process
allows for the authentication of digitally signed ballots submitted
electronically by voters in the poll site or remotely.
The complete patent description and claims are available
here
