Howdy all,
The relentless efforts of patent monopolists to restrict software ideas
are evident in this article. Mark Summerfield discusses gambling
machines, and the legal question of what makes a software idea eligible
for patent:
The Australian Patent Office has recently issued two decisions
resulting from applicants requesting to be heard following
examination objections that their respective inventions did not
constitute patent-eligible subject matter, i.e. a ‘manner of
manufacture’ under the Australian patent law.
Both decisions relate to electronic gaming machines (commonly known
as ‘poker machines’ or ‘slot machines’), and both involve the
question of whether particular computer-implemented features of such
machines are patentable. They differ, however, in the outcome.
<URL:http://blog.patentology.com.au/2016/07/australian-patent-office-clarifies.html>
Rather wonkish; it assumes familiarity with, and acceptance of, the
terminology of patentable software ideas.
The issue is important though; courts seem to be dunned quite frequently
with applicants insisting their idea is special and no-one gets to share
it, and lawyers spend their time on esoterica at the fringes instead of
challenging the notion altogether.
How is the movement to end software idea patents going?
--
\ “Only the shallow know themselves.” —Oscar Wilde, _Phrases and |
`\ Philosophies for the Use of the Young_, 1894 |
_o__) |
Ben Finney
_______________________________________________
Free-software-melb mailing list
[email protected]
http://lists.softwarefreedom.com.au/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/free-software-melb
Free Software Melbourne home page: http://www.freesoftware.asn.au/melb/
