From steve.probert@patent.gov.uk  Tue Oct 17 11:09:25 2000
Date: Tue, 17 Oct 2000 12:09:25 +0100
From: Steve Probert steve.probert@patent.gov.uk
Subject: [Patents] Re: Technical effect

>Unisys claim to have patents in Europe (including the UK) for the LZW
>algorithm.  I'm not sure how this has a technical effect, or qualifies
>as 'software not as such', if IBM's homophone checker did not.

>How is the criterion of technical effect applied in practice?

Data compression is a technical problem.  Eg. How do you store large amounts of program/data on a disk that does not have sufficient capacity?  How do you transmit a video image along a path that doesn't have sufficient bandwidth?   An invention which addresses technical problems like these is likely to be patentable (provided it is novel and not obvious etc.).  
On the other hand, IBM homophone checker looks at words two sea weather they are spelt correctly.  Most of you reading this reply just did that when you read my last sentence.  What was the technical problem?  Where was the technical effect?  In the UK such an invention would probably be excluded from patentability as a method for performing a mental act, as well as a program for a computer.

Steve Probert
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               




