Software Patent Bits for February 5th:
- The Last Defence Of The IP System: An Interview With Jamie Boyle [Intellectual Property Watch] –
"I think open access and commercial forms of distribution are not incompatible. If you look at IBM, IBM is the largest patent holder in the world and they now make twice as much from Linux-related revenues, open-source software-related revenues, as they make through their patent portfolio. They’re not doing it for charity, they’re not doing it because they’re ideologues, they’re not even doing that because they love freedom, or they love the inventive possibilities which it creates worldwide. They’re doing it because it helps their bottom line." - The Limits of Abstract Patents in an Intangible Economy [Brookings Institution] –
"Abstract ideas are not patentable, but what are abstract ideas – and how can judges draw a line around them? . . .This conference . . . looked at the problem of abstract patents from both economic and legal perspectives. How well do abstract patents work? What problems do they create? Can we do better than the standard in Bilski?" — A full transcript of the conference is available as well as several background papers written by panelists.