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Here's some background info on these deals:

• Novell-Microsoft patent deals
• Free software distributors paying patent tax
• Microsoft
• Amazon

I don't time right now to look into this deal, so if someone could add info to en.swpat.org about it, that would be great. Otherwise I'll do it later.

Here's some background info on these deals:

• Novell-Microsoft patent deals
• Free software distributors paying patent tax
• Microsoft
• Amazon

I don't time right now to look into this deal, so if someone could add info to en.swpat.org about it, that would be great. Otherwise I'll do it later.

Here's some background info on these deals:

• Novell-Microsoft patent deals
• Free software distributors paying patent tax
• Microsoft
• Amazon

I don't time right now to look into this deal, so if someone could add info to en.swpat.org about it, that would be great. Otherwise I'll do it later.

Here's some background info on these deals:

• Novell-Microsoft patent deals
• Free software distributors paying patent tax
• Microsoft
• Amazon

I don't time right now to look into this deal, so if someone could add info to en.swpat.org about it, that would be great. Otherwise I'll do it later.

This sort of campaign can never fully solve the swpat problem, but patents on media formats are probably the biggest pain, so this is very worthwhile. The H.264 Mpeg format that Google currently uses is covered by over 900 patents in 29 countries!

Here's info I've gathered about these topics:

• Campaigns to avoid patented ideas
• H.264 and MPEG video formats
• Google
• FSF

swpat.org is a publicly editable wiki, help welcome.

This sort of campaign can never fully solve the swpat problem, but patents on media formats are probably the biggest pain, so this is very worthwhile. The H.264 Mpeg format that Google currently uses is covered by over 900 patents in 29 countries!

Here's info I've gathered about these topics:

• Campaigns to avoid patented ideas
• H.264 and MPEG video formats
• Google
• FSF

swpat.org is a publicly editable wiki, help welcome.

This sort of campaign can never fully solve the swpat problem, but patents on media formats are probably the biggest pain, so this is very worthwhile. The H.264 Mpeg format that Google currently uses is covered by over 900 patents in 29 countries!

Here's info I've gathered about these topics:

• Campaigns to avoid patented ideas
• H.264 and MPEG video formats
• Google
• FSF

swpat.org is a publicly editable wiki, help welcome.

This sort of campaign can never fully solve the swpat problem, but patents on media formats are probably the biggest pain, so this is very worthwhile. The H.264 Mpeg format that Google currently uses is covered by over 900 patents in 29 countries!

Here's info I've gathered about these topics:

• Campaigns to avoid patented ideas
• H.264 and MPEG video formats
• Google
• FSF

swpat.org is a publicly editable wiki, help welcome.

how do patents work in america?

Easy. You write something that you think it too long and complicated for a patent examiner to fully undertand in the 17 hours he/she will be allocated. Then it gets granted and for twenty years you can threaten anyone that developers or distributes software that does anything resembling your patent. (You, the writer of a patent, are a protected innovator. Those guys writing software are nasty pirates - watch out!)

When someone receives your threat letter, they become formally aware of your patent and they now risk triple damages plus paying your lawyers' fees! Win! To avoid this, they could ask their own lawyer for a certificate of non-violation, which costs $40,000. So, if the original letter (which cost 39c to send) asks for $35,000, there's a good chance you'll simply get your money. (As explained by patent attorney Dan Ravicher in this presentation)

Or, you could contest the patent and kill your company by spending 5 years paying legal fees and having a cloud of uncertainty around your business making you untouchable for investors. (As is the case with the 1-click patent)

But, don't worry, patent law does contain a consideration for the public: the nightmare ends after 20 years, so that's why we're all really excited now about Photoshop 1.0 finally becoming patent-free. I hear there's a great operating system that will be patent-free in 2015!

how do patents work in america?

Easy. You write something that you think it too long and complicated for a patent examiner to fully undertand in the 17 hours he/she will be allocated. Then it gets granted and for twenty years you can threaten anyone that developers or distributes software that does anything resembling your patent. (You, the writer of a patent, are a protected innovator. Those guys writing software are nasty pirates - watch out!)

When someone receives your threat letter, they become formally aware of your patent and they now risk triple damages plus paying your lawyers' fees! Win! To avoid this, they could ask their own lawyer for a certificate of non-violation, which costs $40,000. So, if the original letter (which cost 39c to send) asks for $35,000, there's a good chance you'll simply get your money. (As explained by patent attorney Dan Ravicher in this presentation)

Or, you could contest the patent and kill your company by spending 5 years paying legal fees and having a cloud of uncertainty around your business making you untouchable for investors. (As is the case with the 1-click patent)

But, don't worry, patent law does contain a consideration for the public: the nightmare ends after 20 years, so that's why we're all really excited now about Photoshop 1.0 finally becoming patent-free. I hear there's a great operating system that will be patent-free in 2015!

Photoshop from exactly 20 years ago - the only way to reliably avoid software patent problems!

As one of the classic cases, I've been gathering some info already about this:

• Amazon's one-click shopping patent
• Amazon's gift ordering patent
• Amazon

...but I still maintain that the real harm of software patents is that they block access to standards. Compatibility is essential for writing functional software, so some people having a legal veto on others being compatible is a big social problem.

swpat.org is a publicly editable wiki, help welcome.

As one of the classic cases, I've been gathering some info already about this:

• Amazon's one-click shopping patent
• Amazon's gift ordering patent
• Amazon

...but I still maintain that the real harm of software patents is that they block access to standards. Compatibility is essential for writing functional software, so some people having a legal veto on others being compatible is a big social problem.

swpat.org is a publicly editable wiki, help welcome.

As one of the classic cases, I've been gathering some info already about this:

• Amazon's one-click shopping patent
• Amazon's gift ordering patent
• Amazon

...but I still maintain that the real harm of software patents is that they block access to standards. Compatibility is essential for writing functional software, so some people having a legal veto on others being compatible is a big social problem.

swpat.org is a publicly editable wiki, help welcome.

As one of the classic cases, I've been gathering some info already about this:

• Amazon's one-click shopping patent
• Amazon's gift ordering patent
• Amazon

...but I still maintain that the real harm of software patents is that they block access to standards. Compatibility is essential for writing functional software, so some people having a legal veto on others being compatible is a big social problem.

swpat.org is a publicly editable wiki, help welcome.

Make a backup. We don't want another case like Wikileaks, where a leaked draft goes online and then the site comes down for planning and doesn't come back up.

Whatever's in there about patents, please make notes here:

* http://en.swpat.org/wiki/Anti-Counterfeiting_Trade_Agreement

Thanks.

Getting patents out of ACTA is probably a very achievable goal. When we were working on an EU directive to criminalise violations of "IP", we raised a stink about the idea of becoming a criminal for violating any one of the 50,000 software patents which nobody could be expected to read.

That directive, like ACTA, was being pushed by the copyright industry. The second we make them nervous about the whole thing crumbling over patents, patents will disappear over night.

That's what's achievable, but only if we work on it. One very easy way to help is to document what's happening in ACTA regarding patents, and why software patents are terrible:

• ACTA
• studies
• arguments

swpat.org is a publicly editable wiki, help welcome.

Getting patents out of ACTA is probably a very achievable goal. When we were working on an EU directive to criminalise violations of "IP", we raised a stink about the idea of becoming a criminal for violating any one of the 50,000 software patents which nobody could be expected to read.

That directive, like ACTA, was being pushed by the copyright industry. The second we make them nervous about the whole thing crumbling over patents, patents will disappear over night.

That's what's achievable, but only if we work on it. One very easy way to help is to document what's happening in ACTA regarding patents, and why software patents are terrible:

• ACTA
• studies
• arguments

swpat.org is a publicly editable wiki, help welcome.

Getting patents out of ACTA is probably a very achievable goal. When we were working on an EU directive to criminalise violations of "IP", we raised a stink about the idea of becoming a criminal for violating any one of the 50,000 software patents which nobody could be expected to read.

That directive, like ACTA, was being pushed by the copyright industry. The second we make them nervous about the whole thing crumbling over patents, patents will disappear over night.

That's what's achievable, but only if we work on it. One very easy way to help is to document what's happening in ACTA regarding patents, and why software patents are terrible:

• ACTA
• studies
• arguments

swpat.org is a publicly editable wiki, help welcome.

Having spent a few years as a lobbyist in the European Parliament during the EU software patents directive, I can tell you that it's very easy to affect the MEPs.

    I learned that they're mostly lost, and the centre-left guy will vote your way just as quickly as the centre-right guy will, so which one you voted for doesn't make a huge difference, but talking to them does. (FWIW, the best party in there is clearly the Greens.) Tell them your concerns and show them your evidence. Showing evidence is essential so they can justify their vote.

    A leaked copy was posted on wikileaks, but they took everything offline due to their financial problems. Does anyone have a copy of the leaked document? Please post it here, or add it to this public wiki:

• http://en.swpat.org/wiki/Anti-Counterfeiting_Trade_Agreement

    The URLs for the relevant wikileaks docs were:

• http://wikileaks.org/wiki/Classified_US%2C_Japan_and_EU_ACTA_trade_agreement_drafts%2C_2009 - where you'd find scans of the document
• http://wikileaks.org/wiki/Talk:Classified_US%2C_Japan_and_EU_ACTA_trade_agreement_drafts%2C_2009 - where people had started to type it up

I haven't found it in archive.org or Google cache. Help sought, thanks.

    I've only just started documenting this on swpat.org. It's a publicly editable wiki, help very welcome :

• C2's VoIP patent

    The MPEG patent thicket is a prime example of the real problem of software patents. If I want to write a video player, it has to play the formats that people encode videos in. The veto power of patents equates to the right to prohibit me, and everyone, from writing a functional video player. I think I already have pretty good info, but there's loads more of this story to tell. Help really appreciated in documenting this:

• MPEG video formats (including H.264)
• Harm to standards
• HTML5 and video patents

    swpat.org is a publicly editable wiki.

    The MPEG patent thicket is a prime example of the real problem of software patents. If I want to write a video player, it has to play the formats that people encode videos in. The veto power of patents equates to the right to prohibit me, and everyone, from writing a functional video player. I think I already have pretty good info, but there's loads more of this story to tell. Help really appreciated in documenting this:

• MPEG video formats (including H.264)
• Harm to standards
• HTML5 and video patents

    swpat.org is a publicly editable wiki.

    The MPEG patent thicket is a prime example of the real problem of software patents. If I want to write a video player, it has to play the formats that people encode videos in. The veto power of patents equates to the right to prohibit me, and everyone, from writing a functional video player. I think I already have pretty good info, but there's loads more of this story to tell. Help really appreciated in documenting this:

• MPEG video formats (including H.264)
• Harm to standards
• HTML5 and video patents

    swpat.org is a publicly editable wiki.

    I've just started a wiki page to document the Novell-MS deals :

• Novell-Microsoft patent deals
• Novell
• Microsoft

    swpat.org is a publicly editable wiki, so if you'd like to contribute to building the case against software patents, dig in!

    I've just started a wiki page to document the Novell-MS deals :

• Novell-Microsoft patent deals
• Novell
• Microsoft

    swpat.org is a publicly editable wiki, so if you'd like to contribute to building the case against software patents, dig in!

    I've just started a wiki page to document the Novell-MS deals :

• Novell-Microsoft patent deals
• Novell
• Microsoft

    swpat.org is a publicly editable wiki, so if you'd like to contribute to building the case against software patents, dig in!

    I've gathered some info already about patent trolls:

• Patent trolls
• Intellectual Ventures
• Blackboard inc.
• Acacia Research Corporation

    swpat.org is a publicly editable wiki, help welcome.

    I've gathered some info already about patent trolls:

• Patent trolls
• Intellectual Ventures
• Blackboard inc.
• Acacia Research Corporation

    swpat.org is a publicly editable wiki, help welcome.

    I've gathered some info already about patent trolls:

• Patent trolls
• Intellectual Ventures
• Blackboard inc.
• Acacia Research Corporation

    swpat.org is a publicly editable wiki, help welcome.

    I've gathered some info already about patent trolls:

• Patent trolls
• Intellectual Ventures
• Blackboard inc.
• Acacia Research Corporation

    swpat.org is a publicly editable wiki, help welcome.

    Obama's administration submitted a Bilski brief, and Obama's made a statement about wanting to enforce US patents overseas. I'm starting to document the administration's software patent related stances here :

• http://en.swpat.org/wiki/Obama_administration

    swpat.org is a publicly editable wiki, help welcome.

    Regarding software patents, I've gathered some info already about H.264 and the standards problem:

• H.264
• Harm to standards

It's a public wiki, help welcome.

    Regarding software patents, I've gathered some info already about H.264 and the standards problem:

• H.264
• Harm to standards

It's a public wiki, help welcome.

Since patents aren't specific to any company, this means Motorola thinks all imports incorporating "Wi-Fi access, application management, user interface, or power management" should be subject to a veto by them.

    This demonstrates again why patents don't work with software:

• Used for sabotage rather than competition
• Infringement is unavoidable - imagine telling your customers you've decided to leave out Wi-Fi and power management!
• Harm to standards - software just *has* to use existing ideas, compatibility with other software and with usage paterns is essential

There's no page yet on swpat.org for Motorola or for RIM or for their litigation(s). If someone could start pages for any of those, that would be welcome.

Since patents aren't specific to any company, this means Motorola thinks all imports incorporating "Wi-Fi access, application management, user interface, or power management" should be subject to a veto by them.

    This demonstrates again why patents don't work with software:

• Used for sabotage rather than competition
• Infringement is unavoidable - imagine telling your customers you've decided to leave out Wi-Fi and power management!
• Harm to standards - software just *has* to use existing ideas, compatibility with other software and with usage paterns is essential

There's no page yet on swpat.org for Motorola or for RIM or for their litigation(s). If someone could start pages for any of those, that would be welcome.

Since patents aren't specific to any company, this means Motorola thinks all imports incorporating "Wi-Fi access, application management, user interface, or power management" should be subject to a veto by them.

    This demonstrates again why patents don't work with software:

• Used for sabotage rather than competition
• Infringement is unavoidable - imagine telling your customers you've decided to leave out Wi-Fi and power management!
• Harm to standards - software just *has* to use existing ideas, compatibility with other software and with usage paterns is essential

There's no page yet on swpat.org for Motorola or for RIM or for their litigation(s). If someone could start pages for any of those, that would be welcome.

Since patents aren't specific to any company, this means Motorola thinks all imports incorporating "Wi-Fi access, application management, user interface, or power management" should be subject to a veto by them.

    This demonstrates again why patents don't work with software:

• Used for sabotage rather than competition
• Infringement is unavoidable - imagine telling your customers you've decided to leave out Wi-Fi and power management!
• Harm to standards - software just *has* to use existing ideas, compatibility with other software and with usage paterns is essential

There's no page yet on swpat.org for Motorola or for RIM or for their litigation(s). If someone could start pages for any of those, that would be welcome.

To build the case for excluding software from patentability, it's important to document the fact that antitrust doesn't offer a solution. If someone can help document this, here's the page on the public swpat.org documentation wiki:

• Antitrust doesn't work

Thanks.

If you remember other stories of silly software patents, please help document this problem here:

• Silly patents
• Example software patents
• Quality of software patents is particularly bad

(On the public swpat.org documentation wiki)

Thanks.

If you remember other stories of silly software patents, please help document this problem here:

• Silly patents
• Example software patents
• Quality of software patents is particularly bad

(On the public swpat.org documentation wiki)

Thanks.

If you remember other stories of silly software patents, please help document this problem here:

• Silly patents
• Example software patents
• Quality of software patents is particularly bad

(On the public swpat.org documentation wiki)

Thanks.

• A draft that was leaked via Wikileaks (actually, it's offline until Jan 18th, but that's where you'll find the link when they're back to usual business
• A few links and bits of info about the patent provisions (not the focus)
• Have others got links to concise analyses from other angles?

Of course, this draft is from last year.

I can only speak for the domain of software development, but there was a period from 1996-2008 when the USA was disproportionately feeling the rewards of software patenting. The rewards were always severly outweighed by the costs ($11 billion in 2008), but there were always people pointing at these rewards.

Now that the companies of the USA's economy will increasingly become the targets of software patents instead of the users, those rewards will diminishing.

Patent policy for other domains can be considered while only looking at the economic effects. For software, the social effects have to be considered too because software development is something that individuals can do and participate in - like writing a book, reporting news, or writing music. So, it makes sense to have economic studies to make our point, but we also have to remember to have other arguments and to point out that these other issues exist.

The good news is that there's the Bilski case which might solve the problem, and there are also initiatives in other countries, most notably Israel, New_Zealand, the EU, Australia, and something starting in . Help sought.

I can only speak for the domain of software development, but there was a period from 1996-2008 when the USA was disproportionately feeling the rewards of software patenting. The rewards were always severly outweighed by the costs ($11 billion in 2008), but there were always people pointing at these rewards.

Now that the companies of the USA's economy will increasingly become the targets of software patents instead of the users, those rewards will diminishing.

Patent policy for other domains can be considered while only looking at the economic effects. For software, the social effects have to be considered too because software development is something that individuals can do and participate in - like writing a book, reporting news, or writing music. So, it makes sense to have economic studies to make our point, but we also have to remember to have other arguments and to point out that these other issues exist.

The good news is that there's the Bilski case which might solve the problem, and there are also initiatives in other countries, most notably Israel, New_Zealand, the EU, Australia, and something starting in . Help sought.

I can only speak for the domain of software development, but there was a period from 1996-2008 when the USA was disproportionately feeling the rewards of software patenting. The rewards were always severly outweighed by the costs ($11 billion in 2008), but there were always people pointing at these rewards.

Now that the companies of the USA's economy will increasingly become the targets of software patents instead of the users, those rewards will diminishing.

Patent policy for other domains can be considered while only looking at the economic effects. For software, the social effects have to be considered too because software development is something that individuals can do and participate in - like writing a book, reporting news, or writing music. So, it makes sense to have economic studies to make our point, but we also have to remember to have other arguments and to point out that these other issues exist.

The good news is that there's the Bilski case which might solve the problem, and there are also initiatives in other countries, most notably Israel, New_Zealand, the EU, Australia, and something starting in . Help sought.

I can only speak for the domain of software development, but there was a period from 1996-2008 when the USA was disproportionately feeling the rewards of software patenting. The rewards were always severly outweighed by the costs ($11 billion in 2008), but there were always people pointing at these rewards.

Now that the companies of the USA's economy will increasingly become the targets of software patents instead of the users, those rewards will diminishing.

Patent policy for other domains can be considered while only looking at the economic effects. For software, the social effects have to be considered too because software development is something that individuals can do and participate in - like writing a book, reporting news, or writing music. So, it makes sense to have economic studies to make our point, but we also have to remember to have other arguments and to point out that these other issues exist.

The good news is that there's the Bilski case which might solve the problem, and there are also initiatives in other countries, most notably Israel, New_Zealand, the EU, Australia, and something starting in . Help sought.

I can only speak for the domain of software development, but there was a period from 1996-2008 when the USA was disproportionately feeling the rewards of software patenting. The rewards were always severly outweighed by the costs ($11 billion in 2008), but there were always people pointing at these rewards.

Now that the companies of the USA's economy will increasingly become the targets of software patents instead of the users, those rewards will diminishing.

Patent policy for other domains can be considered while only looking at the economic effects. For software, the social effects have to be considered too because software development is something that individuals can do and participate in - like writing a book, reporting news, or writing music. So, it makes sense to have economic studies to make our point, but we also have to remember to have other arguments and to point out that these other issues exist.

The good news is that there's the Bilski case which might solve the problem, and there are also initiatives in other countries, most notably Israel, New_Zealand, the EU, Australia, and something starting in . Help sought.

I can only speak for the domain of software development, but there was a period from 1996-2008 when the USA was disproportionately feeling the rewards of software patenting. The rewards were always severly outweighed by the costs ($11 billion in 2008), but there were always people pointing at these rewards.

Now that the companies of the USA's economy will increasingly become the targets of software patents instead of the users, those rewards will diminishing.

Patent policy for other domains can be considered while only looking at the economic effects. For software, the social effects have to be considered too because software development is something that individuals can do and participate in - like writing a book, reporting news, or writing music. So, it makes sense to have economic studies to make our point, but we also have to remember to have other arguments and to point out that these other issues exist.

The good news is that there's the Bilski case which might solve the problem, and there are also initiatives in other countries, most notably Israel, New_Zealand, the EU, Australia, and something starting in . Help sought.