[Patents] can idea be patented?

[antonio abrantes antonio_abrantes@hotmail.com]

Greg Aharonian wrote:
>>Now there aresoftware patents for indenting in word processors, improved 
>>versionsof what was original done with electronics.<<

The difference here is that in the past, they describe all the equipment , 
its gears, and son on. They could not get a patent for indenting per se 
because it could be considered an idea. It was necessary to describe its 
equipment, so several equipments could perform the same effect and receive a 
patent each new implementation with inventive step when compared with prior 
art. Nowadays, the concept changed: you receive a patent for identation fot 
a word processor, does not describe any line of your code, and receive a 
patent for the concept, something that was forbidden in the past. The 
kitchen sink patent could be harmful for other software developers.

Abrantes
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