[Patents] NHK TV Programme on Business Metho Patents

[Jean-Paul Smets jean-paul.smets@mines.org]

Hi,

I just viewed an NHK TV programme in Tokyo about patents on business methods.
(2000-8-8 19.30-20.00)

The programmed explained what they were, gave an example of one japanese 
company
who had to pay 9 000 000 to another japanese company for getting a license on 
a
business patent.

The programme included a short interview of Richard Stallman (explaining that 
it
makes no sens to grant 20 years monopolies on business methods). It also
included a short explanation about the fact that "US did not want Japan to 
copy
and improve the Internet like it did with electronics and cars" (this was a
typical point of view of the US a few years ago). It also included various
references to Amazon disputes and boycott.

The programme was generally quite "pro-patent" in the sense that it provided
good explanations to everybody in Japan on how to get a business method patent
and why. The programme still included various notes on the fact that "the
effects of B.M. patents are still unknown" and that "maybe 3 to 5 years" would
make more sense.

JPS.