Recent patent/copyright infringement cases filed in U.S. District Courts
,----[ Quote ]
| Electronic Data Systems of Plano claims it holds the rights to U.S. Patent
| Nos. 7,156,300 and 7,255,268 which generally relate to a system and method
| for electronic purchase of prepaid telephone services. The plaintiff's
| original complaint describes the inventions whereby a customer can purchase a
| specified amount of telephone service through a personal computer or an ATM
| machine.
`----
http://www.digitalmajority.org/forum/t-40080/setexasrecord:recent-patent-copyright-infringement-cases-filed-in-u-s-district-courts
My Dumb Software Patents
,----[ Quote ]
| The first patent was provisionally filed in 2000 and has been "in process"
| for the last 8 years. Yes, I said 8 years. Many think that Software Patents
| are stupid. I conceptually agree with this statement. Having spent what seems
| like millions of hours constructing these, baby sitting them, defending them;
| it is really all wasted time and effort, at least in a conceptual sense.
| There is no way for a software engineer or system architect to have any idea
| what exists out there to either copy or avoid (whatever the motivation).
`----
http://falseprecision.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/02/my-dumb-softwar.html
Autonomy lose UK patent appeal
,----[ Quote ]
| ...the Honourable Mr Justice Lewison in the Patents Court has dismissed
| Autonomy's appeal against a refusal of their patent application relating to
| automated computer searching.
`----
http://ipkitten.blogspot.com/2008/02/autonomy-lose-uk-patent-appeal.html
Change in UK-IPO Practice regarding patents for computer programs
,----[ Quote ]
| In his judgment, Kitchin J has now clarified the law in this area, and
| decided that patents should, as a result of applying the test formulated in
| Aerotel/Macrossan, be allowed to protect a computer program if, but only if,
| the program implements a patentable invention.
`----
http://media.netpr.pl/notatka_93225.html
Related:
Interview with Richard M. Stallman
,----[ Quote ]
| It is important to know this because we will always face pressure, from those
| who are powerful and would like to take away our freedom, to surrender our
| freedom—and they frequently offer us something attractive in exchange. For
| instance, B’liar wanted to abolish the Rights of Englishmen, and to serve his
| American master, Bush, faithfully; so he offered Britons “protection” from
| this or that, plus the imagined idea that he influences his master on their
| behalf through the “special relationship”.
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
`----
http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/articles/interview_with_richard_stallman
Patents on Computer-Implemented Inventions: UK Courts Inching Towards EPO
Positions?
,----[ Quote ]
| As a consequence of this particular piece of UK case law, the UK Patent
| Office UK-IPO had established a practice of flatly rejecting patent claims to
| computer program products contrary to the practice of the EPO. Last year,
| five companies, namely Astron Clinica Limited, Cyan Holdings Plc, Inrotis
| Technologies Limited, Software 2000 Limited and Surf Kitchen, Inc., INTERNAL
| LINKhad appealed against this restrictive practice.
|
| Now, and this seems to be quite surprising, the table appears to be turned
| again: On the well-known EXTERNAL LINKIPKat Blog, EXTERNAL LINKMr David
| Pearce reports that the Honourable Mr Justice Kitchin has ruled yesterday
| that the current UK Patent Office practice of flatly rejecting patent claims
| to computer program products is wrong.
|
| [...]
|
| Mr Pearce characterises himself as being quite amazed by the judgment because
| before the recent judgement he had been convinced that, under the system of
| UK case law, there was no room for manoeuver after Aerotel/Macrossan, and he
| asks the important question as to whether the UK-IPO can simply all go back
| to falling into line with the EPO, or if they will judge that this one is
| worth going further on.
`----
http://www.ipjur.com/2008/01/patents-on-computer-implemented.php3
High Court allows computer program patent claims
,----[ Quote ]
| In conclusion then, Kitchin J found that the appeals should be allowed. Each
| application concerned a computer related invention where the examiner had
| allowed claims to, in effect, a method performed by running a suitably
| programmed computer and to a computer programmed to carry out the method.
`----
http://ipkitten.blogspot.com/2008/01/high-court-allows-computer-program.html
Court gives hi-tech companies the power to patent software
,----[ Quote ]
| Hi-tech companies will be able to patent software programs after a key court
| decision that may move the UK closer to Europe in its treatment of
| computerrelated inventions.
|
| The High Court yesterday said that the Patent Office was incorrectly applying
| the law in automatically rejecting claims for computer programs, in a case
| brought by four small British businesses.
`----
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4732f070-cbb2-11dc-97ff-000077b07658.html
|
|
