THE NEXT PUSH BEGINS - (Reuters) European Union President Luxembourg expects the bloc's ministers to approve a controversial draft law on patenting computer-based inventions on Monday, a Luxembourg official has said.

The decision would mark a victory for advocates of patenting some computer software, notably big firms such as Microsoft and Nokia, against many small companies, which fear the planned law would push them out of the market.

The ministers' approval of the draft law would send it to a second reading -- the phase in which it is more difficult for the sceptical EU Parliament to push through amendments.