Compliance Toolkit
Story: UK companies see perils in software patents
Posted by: Glyn Wintle (Wednesday 15 December 2004, 8:37 PM)
>Since 2001 the Patent Office has frequently said that
>an invention can only be patented if it makes a >
>"technical contribution", such as the software which
>controls a physical object, rather than software which
>automates business methods. It also claims that the
>directive merely clarifies the status quo.
>But yesterday at the patent meeting, Julian Todd, a
>machine tool programmer, said that few UK machine >tool companies have taken out patents to date, but he
>is concerned that this may now be a costly necessity
>due to the directive.
It also was made clear in that meeting in response to many questions that "technical contribution" did not require any controls a physical object, and that it would be possible to patent novel ideas implemented in code on a desktop pc.
Full Talkback thread
