Actually even method patents are in peril. See a recent case called "In Re Bilski". Even method patents must be tied to particular physical apparatuses, or must transform some physical subject matter into another state or thing.
On Apr 13, 3:18 pm, george_c <[email protected]> wrote: > A method can be patented. And not 'anything' > > On Mon, Apr 13, 2009 at 9:18 PM, Marco Nelissen <[email protected]> wrote: > > > "You can never patent abstract ideas. Game ideas cannot be patented" > > > OK, so we've established you're not a patent lawyer... :) > > My favorite patent is the one for swinging sideways on a swing, which > > IMO illustrates you can patent pretty much anything. > > > On Mon, Apr 13, 2009 at 10:44 AM, Ikon <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Your contention that "grown up operating systems" should not allow you > > > to copy ideas is totally unfounded. You can never patent abstracty > > > ideas. Game ideas cannot be patented. Whether they should be is a > > > different discussion. You can go right and now, and make a game on > > > Windows with a story very similar to fallout, and write all your own > > > code, and use all your own graphics/sound assets and you will not be > > > infringing on that IP in any way. A company may come and try to sue > > > you, but that has no relevance to a maturity of an operating system. > > > > On Apr 13, 10:43 am, Sundog <[email protected]> wrote: > > >> Anyone who is surprised by this must be very, very new to the > > >> programming game. I've been waiting for this since the store opened. > > > >> IMHO, to the extent that the Android community becomes a proxy for > > >> those that think All Ideas Should Be Free And Stealable, that is the > > >> extent to which Android will never be a real grown-up operating > > >> system. > > > >> On Apr 7, 8:43 am, "[email protected]" <[email protected]> > > >> wrote: > > > >> > On Saturday April 4th, I received a message from google saying that my > > >> > game "Robotic Space Rock" was pulled from the android market after a > > >> > request made by a legal firm representing an entity known as Tetris > > >> > Company. My application was removed from the android market together > > >> > with Blocks, Cubik, Net Tetris, Netblocks and Tetroid (6 apps in > > >> > total) under claim that it violates the DMCA and more specifically > > >> > trademarks and copyrighted material owned by the Tetris Company. > > >> > However, none of the trademarks or copyrighted material (music, > > >> > graphics and sound effects) are present in my game. Sound effects and > > >> > music were created by me specifically for the game. There is no > > >> > reference to the word tetris in the game. Additionally, all the game > > >> > code, graphics and sound effects were created by me and published on > > >> > the code sitehttp://code.google.com/p/monolithandroid > > > >> > Additionally, I am not aware of a software patent covering the game > > >> > mechanics of Tetris, so I cannot see how I could violate something > > >> > that is not protected by a software patent. Also, even if the game was > > >> > protected by a patent, the patent would have expired, since the > > >> > original game, Tetris, was created 23 years ago. However game > > >> > mechanics cannot be covered by patents. > > > >> > I would also like to point out that my game is available completely > > >> > free of charge to every user of the android market. > > > >> > I wrote those concerns to Google and I sent an email to the EFF. The > > >> > bottom line is that for my application to be restored on the android > > >> > market, I have to send a DMCA counter-notification. And then the > > >> > Tetris Company can sue and take the case to Court. > > > >> > When games were pulled from the iPhone App store, they blamed apple, > > >> > but it is not hard to see that behind application removals we can find > > >> > companies like the Tetris Company, that demand application removals > > >> > claiming copyright infringement and trademarks. However, it is not > > >> > easy to battle these companies as individual developers. I, for > > >> > example, am a Greek citizen living in Greece, so it is difficult for > > >> > me to file a counter-notification, because then the Tetris company > > >> > will probably sue me and I will have to defend my case in court. Why > > >> > should I bother? Am I making money out of the game? No! But even if I > > >> > did you can see how easy it is for corporations to neutralize > > >> > developers like that. I think that something should be done. > > >> > Independent developers should get together to battle against such > > >> > misuse of the law by corporations. > > >> > And to those that want more facts, you can find more details on my > > >> > blog:http://tkcodesharing.blogspot.com --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Android Developers" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
