I have mentioned earlier, with some optimism perhaps, that the day of software patents is nearing its end (in the land where it was born). Here is an update (/.)
"In this closely-watched case, the Supreme Court will decide whether the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit was correct in restricting patentable processes to those 'tied to a particular machine or apparatus,' or which 'transform[s] a particular article into a different state or thing,' a conclusion which if fully implemented could bring to an end the widespread patenting of computer programs. ... This case gives the Supreme Court a chance to reaffirm what its past cases have held for more than a century: that no patent law consistent with the US Constitution can permit the monopolization of abstract ideas." http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/lV6Z6F5aPfI/SFLC-Tells-SCOTUS-Software-Patents-Are-Unjust Of course, the second definition, 'transform[s] a particular article into a different state or thing,' could conceivably be used to patent something like specific 'camera' or 'projector' functions, when used in some gadget like a 'telephone', afaik, so battles will continue long after the war ends. -- Vickram http://communicall.wordpress.com
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