[Patents] French State secretary for Industry against SoftPat

[pb@breese.fr (Pierre Breese)]

le 31/03/2001 15:26, Martin Wahl=E9n =E0 mva@df.lth.se a =E9crit=A0:

>=20
>> Free software and patented software have to coexist.
>=20
> Dictatorship? I just love the way you argue.

May be this word is not adequate, sorry. I criticized the use of
misinformation of this article. Such fulse assertion is undeserving free
software debate.

> So where will you draw the line in the future? Pierre, where will the lin=
e
> between what is patentable and not be drawn?

Simply the usual criteria of patentability : novelty and inventiveness of
the claimed technical characteristics, sufficiency of the description of th=
e
invention.

> I assume that you dont think
> that we should grant patents on things like new artforms? But yet you are
> willing to let math be patented, so why are you descriminating against
> other fields?
Not math, only a technical process, possibly based on a mathematical formul=
a
(i.e. patented RSA algorithm (the patent is now fallen).
>=20
> I know that Greg knows alot about computer science, probably alot that yo=
u
> or I don't. I am simply a student but I am at a stage where I am studing
> for my mastersthesis, but here computer science is the study of
> [mathematical] problems

Well, and patent law concerns the protection of the commercial use of an
innovative embodiment or process, may be with based on computer science...