I don't usually pass on information about patent cases, but this announcement from the Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic at U.C. Berkeley, should interest all of us who care about access to information, not to mention contraints on human thought and behavior (!).
www.samuelsonclinic.org (amicus brief available on the site) publicknowledge.org ----- Original Message ----- > Not directly relevant to fair use, but I thought some of you would enjoy > the brief we filed today at the U.C. Berkeley Clinic on behalf of > Consumers Union, EFF [Electronic Frontier Foundation], and PK [Public > Knowledge] > in the Federal Circuit's en banc Bilski case. > > In it, we argue that the Federal Circuit should place substantial limits > on the patentability of processes that do not directly improve or > significantly involve technology, especially those that would constrain > human thought and behavior, copyrighted works, access to information, > and consumer welfare (via restrictions on business methods). We propose > a framework for the Court and the PTO that weeds out inappropriate > applications, especially those that are "artfully drafted" to cover > unpatentable subject matter using the guise of incidental technology. > > Best, > Jason > > -- > Jason M. Schultz > Associate Director > Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic > U.C. Berkeley School of Law > jschultz at law.berkeley.edu > http://www.samuelsonclinic.org > (510) 642-1957 Amalyah Keshet Head of Image Resources & Copyright Management The Israel Museum, Jerusalem akeshet at imj.org.il Chair, MCN IP SIG www.mcn.edu Blog www.musematic.net
