Europe: No patents for software

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SOMEONE'S thinking at the EU!

Ideas were NEVER patentable until I believe some 5 years ago when someone in the U.S. Patent department decided it was a good idea to start granting patents for ideas. In the olden days, you could only patent a specific implementation of any idea. As long as someone else used the same idea and did it differently you were fine. This worked for the idea of assembly lines and manufacturing processes. This is how it had been since the Patent Office was created up until a few years ago. I don't know if a law was changed allowing the patents to be granted for ideas but if one was, it needs to be repealed.

As a result of this atmosphere the current patent environment has destroyed the ability of all businesses in this country to actually innovate new products without also wasting millions on litigation. Software by its very nature is an implementation of an idea and there's nothing in software that isn't already covered by copyright. The IDEA of a car with a steering wheel, brake pedals and accelerator pad should not be patentable. Even the idea of each of those things should not be patentable. What should be patentable are how EACH of those elements are implemented. How exactly does the design work to make a car steer? How exactly do the brakes work?

The fact that Michael Crichton has to patent the IDEA of dinosaurs attacking people and dinosaurs attacking other dinosaurs to protect himself from litigation is IDIOTIC.

Posted by: bahamude   Posted on: 05/25/06 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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