From ramon@jl1.quim.ucm.es  Fri Feb 16 12:00:31 2001
Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2001 13:00:31 +0100
From: Ram'on Garc'ia Fern'andez ramon@jl1.quim.ucm.es
Subject: [Patents] Dutch MP's demand triviality criteria in the law before allowing SW pats

On Fri, Feb 16, 2001 at 12:53:04PM +0100, Luuk van Dijk wrote:
> Ram'on Garc'ia Fern'andez wrote:
> 
> > Another topic: did you consider the exclusion of patents on interfaces?
> > These patents hurt interoperability.
> 
> They were not explicitly discussed.  I take it
> that interfaces are as 'software' and 'representation
> of information' as it can get. Not?
> 
> Luuk
> 

Making clearer in the law the exclusion of interfaces cannot hurt.
The clearer the better.

On the other hand, an interface can be new. For example, a new
instruction in a processor.  Yet in this cases, the monopolistic
effects are more important that the need to encourage innovation. It
is not posible to sell a processor/operating system if there are no
applications available for it; therefore a processor needs to be
compatible with existing popular processors in order to succeed.



Ramon




