[Patents] Interesting link

[Gregory Aharonian srctran@world.std.com]

>It's a great paper on describing why exactly software patents are
>more harmful than beneficial,.

Not really.  Most of the paper is a discussion about the problems of
determining novelty and obviousness for software patents, with little
discussion of the comparative benefits and harms of software patents.
And increasingly, the problems of novelty and obviousnes the author
alludes to are affecting many other areas of technology as well.

Indeed, if you follow his suggestions to fix how software patents are
examined (all of which I think are great ideas), most of the problems
with bad software patetns would go away.  But then, his suggestions would
also help the problems of bad patents in other areas of technology as
well.

Indeed indeed, if you bother to look at the latest digital circuit
patents being issued, they are just as problematic as the software
patents, for the same reasons.  If you don't believe me, go ask any
company (including those in Europe) that have gotten letters from
Rambus.

Greg Aharonian