Re: [Fsfe-uk] Fwd: UK Leading Patents?

[Alex Hudson]

On Thu, 2002-03-07 at 14:08, MJ Ray wrote:
> OK, in the absence of any other dictators on this task, I suggest:
> 
> 1. Someone with a few minutes to spare contact UKPTO and double-check that
> the allegations made against them are true, or at least find verifying
> independent evidence on the web about this.  Nothing worse than going off at
> half-cock.

Having read the links mentioned, and the links on those links ;), it
doesn't look to me like there is any new problem here.

Essentially, it's the same old same old. You're allowed to patent
software if it has a significant technical effect. Although highly
vague, it can't be bent to include new ways of doing things within
programs - essentially, if something is patentable, you can patent it
whether or not it is software, not because it is software. More
explicitly, maths/algorithms/processes are supposedly unpatentable.

I would be interested to know if anyone had any examples of a patent
application which has succeeded, which should have not succeeded. I will
search myself, I will also try to contact the UKPTO - they always seem
to be very slow at responding though :(

Cheers,

Alex.

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