Saturday
Nov012008
Goodbye business method patents!
Saturday, November 1, 2008 at 9:55AM According to Groklaw, the appeals court has just significantly narrowed the scope of what can be patented in the United States. They didn't go so-far as to invalidate software patents (unfortunately), but it looks like they have invalidated most "business method" patents, and probably narrowed software patents.
Experts are still digesting exactly what this means, but it looks like a victory for anyone that (like me), believes that the recent expansive view of what can be patented has retarded rather than advanced the cause of innovation.
Ian Clarke |
3 Comments | in
Patents
Patents 

Reader Comments (3)
They obviously did not have deep enough pockets to fund their push for patent.
So you are for open source/ freeware completely? No intellectual property rights and sole usuage claims? How far does this extend in the future in your thoughts, I am curious. I am not opposed to these concepts - given the growth lately in patenting DNA and life forms. So you are thinking nothing in software design should have ownership? Developing software for the insurance industry I don' know if I agree. Clever people always seem to find away around patents and even Edison said it leads to greater inovation. I am on the fence. Hard to say.
@Lilika, I don't think that being an advocate for open source and freeware implies that you are opposed to all IP rights, indeed many free software licenses rely on copyright. It is important not to confuse copyright with patents. Copyright can never prevent me from creating something independently of other people, but a patent on an obvious idea can and does.
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