Software patents -- 1
The controversy
- What is a process?
- How do you separate the hardware from the software?
- HW/SW are often embedded in a larger system
Cons
- The PTO lacks the necessary expertise
- SW technology is fundamentally different
- Patent infringement is difficult to anticipate and avoid
- Patent licensing will make some SW products unprofitable
- Independent reinvention is common in SW development
- Continue an emphasis on inventions rather than products
- Patents do not solve any problems in the SW industry