2008-11-27

Bliski works in practice!


PatentlyO reports that Court finds “Programmed Computer Method” Not Patentable Subject Matter!

This is certainly good progress in eliminating the abstract patents we have seen granted for quite a while.

There is also an update on the effects of Bilski on Groklaw using Microsofts patent portfolio as an exemaple.

2008-11-20

TED: Patents and copyrights stopping innovation?



Charles Leadbeater, journalist from the Financial Times talks about real innovation and how the image of inventors is bad for development on TED-talks.


Charles argues that innovation comes from consumers and its up to companies to listening to and understand consumers.

2008-11-10

EPO can't hide from Bilski


US patent praxis is now much clearer than EPO praxis. After a US court declared business methods and logic invalid in the Bilski case, Europe has to catch up.

Perhaps its the sub prime crisis that made the risk in the current patent inflation that obvious? My guess is that the court just used good old reason about keeping abstract matter out of patents at last!

While EPO argues that further technical effects, like running anything on a standard computer, allows for business methods and software patents, US has declared out... for real!

Any claims on abstract methods or information (aka record on a carrier) publication are out, while apparatus claims remain.

Europe has to tame the beast at the EPO or fall behind.