The Patent Office has just launched a major consultation exercise to
determine whether or not patents should be granted for all computer
programs and methods of doing business. The European Commission is also
running a similar consultation exercise, and there is a possibility that
patent law could be changed throughout the whole of Europe depending on
the outcome of these consultations.
Currently, computer programs can only be patented if they have the
potential to achieve a technical effect when run on a computer. Although
around 15% of the patents granted in the UK are software-related, many
people still don't realise that some computer programs can be patented.
Methods of doing business (whether over the Internet or not) are not
patentable in the UK, but the consultation asks whether such things
should be made patentable by changing the law.
If anyone (particularly interested parties in the UK) has any views on
this subject, the Patent Office would be very interested to hear them.
There is more information on the Patent Office website, including
contact details and a link to a newsgroup discussion being hosted by the
Patent Office.
http://www.patent.gov.uk/snews/notices/softcons.html
Steve Probert CEng MIEE
Deputy Director, The Patent Office
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