New Zealand becomes a game-changer. Software patents no longer allowed

Comments

  • Sad_esm
    edited July 2010
    But, can algorithms be patented? No, i'm not in NZ.
  • dar
    edited July 2010
    Algorithms per se cannot be patented. Only methods that are tied up to a machine.
  • ardichokeardichoke Icrontian
    edited July 2010
    Yessss..... go New Zealand. It's about time there was a government with enough common sense to see that patents are silly for software.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited July 2010
    Too bad they're trying to pull off a firewall too.
  • dar
    edited July 2010
    This is bad news for innovators who deserve credit for the software patents they have developed.

    Also, to quote Paul Graham, "If you're against software patents, you're against patents in general. Gradually our machines consist more and more of software. Things that used to be done with levers and cams and gears are now done with loops and trees and closures. There's nothing special about physical embodiments of control systems that should make them patentable, and the software equivalent not."
  • ardichokeardichoke Icrontian
    edited July 2010
    pssh... tell that to all the companies that put out brilliant innovative software just to be sued out of existence by some patent troll that patented an idea and never actually developed it. Copyright protection is the right way to go with software. You should have to actually develop the software for it to be protected and companies that develop something that has never been seen before shouldn't have to fear being sued by some company they've never heard of that has been sitting on a bunch of patents they've never done anything with.
  • Vanesa
    edited July 2010
    "This is bad news for innovators who deserve credit for the software patents they have developed." I agree with you on that.
  • caroline
    edited July 2010
    I am fully behind ardichoke and NZ. Software should not be patentable, right because of the Patent-trolls. This will block innovation. And in this world with all it's risks, e.g. changing climate, etcetera, we need all the innovation we can get.
  • Jorge
    edited July 2010
    I don't believe that software is patentable. Period.

    Is good for profits to create patents around software, but software is not patentable BY NATURE.

    The reason for patents are to protect profits, and people that have a primary care for profits do not care about hurting the industry... funny enough it does hurts everybody.

    Did you know that food is not patentable? And I don't see McDonalds going broke because they can't sue Burger King.

    Did you know that clothe designs are not patentable? And Christian Dior is not going broke because all the imitations.

    Software patents are a bad idea. It prevents competition, it accuses developers of stealing obvious ideas (how can something be patentable if anybody on the trade can imagine the same solution?). And stifle competition, how long IE6 lasted? and it didn't evolved until firefox and others became a threat?

    Software on it self is not more patentable than math formulas, if math were patentable... can you imagine the mess? that is what we are doing to software.

    Good for NZ!
  • MAGICMAGIC Doot Doot Furniture City, Michigan Icrontian
    edited July 2010
    I don't know here. I think people should be paid for their ideas even if they dont have the resouces to actually create it but I don't think someone should be allowed to railroad a company that intends to develope an idea with a patent.
  • miragemirage
    edited July 2010
    I also agree with NZ that copyrights are more than sufficient for protecting software IP. Software patents are like Indiana Jones producers charging fee to everyone showing a man with a whip and hat in their movie.
  • LincLinc Owner Detroit Icrontian
    edited July 2010
    Outstanding.
  • Cliff_ForsterCliff_Forster Icrontian
    edited July 2010
    As someone that works for a company whose primary competitor basically exists by infringing on our patented technology, I'm not 100% sure how I feel about this?
  • Paladin677Paladin677 Moriarty, NM Member
    edited July 2010
    1 down, 100 or so countries to go.
  • Lipe123
    edited July 2010
    This is a great idea, I hope it catches on everywhere. As for the comments on "poor programmers getting their ideas stolen" -utter BS. No programmer codes for fame, name me ONE programmer thats "famous". No programmer writes code in the hopes of getting rich on the patents (at least not decent programmers) If your code is that good that others choose to use it, that in itself would make me feel pretty awesome.
    No it wont stifle progress either, infact companies will be able to see the competitions code and be able to respond with improvements of their own thats not based on guess work. At worst this would mean that the bar will be higher across the board because even bad programmers can just borrow code.
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