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[News] Companies in Germany Find Ways to Circumvent Software Patent Prohibition

German government plans to ratify amendments to patent agreement

,----[ Quote ]
| Just before the meeting of diplomats, the EPO's administrative
| council called for a loosening of the exclusion of software from
| industrial patents. However, the EPO member states were not able
| to reach an agreement on this issue. The revised European Patent
| Agreement therefore still contains a clause in Article 52
| stipulating that computer programs do not "per se" qualify for
| patents. But the European Patent Office has been liberally
| interpreting this stipulation for some time; according to the
| German Economics Ministry, it currently issues some 6,000
| patents on "computer-implemented inventions." Such inventions
| include, for instance, improvements in a computer's memory
| management or greater image contrast by means of a mixed
| hardware and software solution; such inventions are
| considered worthy of protection because they allegedly promote
| the progress of technology.
`----

http://www.heise.de/english/newsticker/news/84326/from/rss09


Related:

Multi-nationals ignore SA patent law

,----[ Quote ]
| "Does Microsoft intend to continue to break the law by filing software
| patents in South Africa?"
`----

http://www.tectonic.co.za/view.php?id=1331



-- 
List of candidate Microsoft astroturfers (directly or indirectly paid by
Microsoft to post in this newsgroup):

        flatfish+++
        Damian O'Leary (AKA Hadron Quark)
        Erik Funkenbusch
        Larry Qualig (former Microsoft employee)
        Scott Nudds (AKA Vistaking)
        Nedd Ludd
        Tim Smith
        OK
        DFS
        Terry
        Ana Thema

Take everything posted by the individuals above with a barrel of salt.


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