[Patents] ABstracts to articles on hardware/software codesign

[PILCH Hartmut phm@a2e.de]

> It's a great thing that you have showed that hardware is a medium of
> software. But all that shows also that a software  programm can always
> improve the hardware  functionality so to have a technical effect.

Of course software has a "technical effect" in the meaningless sense in
which this word is used by the EPO.  But even in the traditional clear
sense, it has a technical effect, i.e. a physical effect.  It moves
electrons around in a computer.  Even when people play on a musical
instrument, there is a technical / physical effect. But that effect is
generally not a part of any claimed invention.  Software innovations do
not qualify as new ways of using natural forces to directly cause a
hitherto unexpected physical effect.

We badly need a FAQ on the basic concepts of the patent systems which we
can point patent experts to.  A lot of these experts just pretend not to
understand the ABC of the patent system when such non-understanding suits
their cause.

-phm