diff --git a/openbis/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/generic/shared/basic/dto/Filter.java b/openbis/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/generic/shared/basic/dto/Filter.java
index 379d4c78bc7bbe1d787fd4964ac3870dc5408f29..3038286aa66ea0e4e6cf674c87ff1dd88dd361ff 100644
--- a/openbis/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/generic/shared/basic/dto/Filter.java
+++ b/openbis/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/generic/shared/basic/dto/Filter.java
@@ -50,8 +50,6 @@ public class Filter extends AbstractRegistrationHolder implements IsSerializable
 
     private Set<String> parameters;
 
-    private Set<String> columns;
-
     public Filter()
     {
     }
@@ -136,14 +134,4 @@ public class Filter extends AbstractRegistrationHolder implements IsSerializable
         this.parameters = parameters;
     }
 
-    public Set<String> getColumns()
-    {
-        return columns;
-    }
-
-    public void setColumns(Set<String> columns)
-    {
-        this.columns = columns;
-    }
-
 }
diff --git a/openbis/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/generic/shared/translator/FilterTranslator.java b/openbis/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/generic/shared/translator/FilterTranslator.java
index 2132cbc4baa8d865f3704b95a01d4482957b2aeb..9d9d456fb65d9e5fe52888624201c89b94ac4ec0 100644
--- a/openbis/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/generic/shared/translator/FilterTranslator.java
+++ b/openbis/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/generic/shared/translator/FilterTranslator.java
@@ -38,8 +38,6 @@ public final class FilterTranslator
 {
     private static final String PARAMETER_PATTERN = "\\$\\{.*?\\}";
 
-    private static final String COLUMN_PATTERN = "col\\(.*?\\)";
-
     private FilterTranslator()
     {
         // Can not be instantiated.
@@ -73,23 +71,9 @@ public final class FilterTranslator
                 .getDatabaseInstance()));
         result.setPublic(filter.isPublic());
         result.setParameters(extractParameters(filter.getExpression()));
-        result.setColumns(extractColumns(filter.getExpression()));
         return result;
     }
 
-    static Set<String> extractColumns(String expression)
-    {
-        Pattern parameterPattern = Pattern.compile(COLUMN_PATTERN);
-        Set<String> list = new HashSet<String>();
-        Matcher matcher = parameterPattern.matcher(expression);
-        while (matcher.find())
-        {
-            String group = matcher.group();
-            list.add(group.substring(4, group.length() - 1));
-        }
-        return list;
-    }
-
     static Set<String> extractParameters(String expression)
     {
         Pattern parameterPattern = Pattern.compile(PARAMETER_PATTERN);
diff --git a/openbis/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/generic/shared/translator/FilterTranslatorTest.java b/openbis/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/generic/shared/translator/FilterTranslatorTest.java
index 87e464dfc33c326aef5b91456e808a1756d20acd..7203bb7df29ccb351a22425893f0cb2efd785677 100644
--- a/openbis/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/generic/shared/translator/FilterTranslatorTest.java
+++ b/openbis/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/generic/shared/translator/FilterTranslatorTest.java
@@ -54,32 +54,4 @@ public class FilterTranslatorTest extends AssertJUnit
         assertEquals(3, FilterTranslator.extractParameters(expression).size());
     }
 
-    @Test
-    public void testExtractColumnsNoParameters() throws Exception
-    {
-        String expression = "";
-        assertEquals(0, FilterTranslator.extractColumns(expression).size());
-    }
-
-    @Test
-    public void testExtractColumnsOneParameter() throws Exception
-    {
-        String expression = "col(abc)";
-        assertEquals(1, FilterTranslator.extractColumns(expression).size());
-    }
-
-    @Test
-    public void testExtractColumnOneDuplicatedParameter() throws Exception
-    {
-        String expression = "col(abc) col(abc) ";
-        assertEquals(1, FilterTranslator.extractColumns(expression).size());
-    }
-
-    @Test
-    public void testExtractColumnManyParameters() throws Exception
-    {
-        String expression = "col(abc) col(abc) col(def) col(ghi)";
-        assertEquals(3, FilterTranslator.extractColumns(expression).size());
-    }
-
 }