Re: [OT] Patent protection

[Cem Kaner <kaner@kaner.com>]

we are now able to patent business processes. Patent law's scope has been 
expanding.

At 11:29 PM 12/14/99 -0500, Ethical at One of One dot Net wrote:
>In <19991214210854.A31727@omnifarious.mn.org>, on 12/14/99 at 10:15
>PM,
>    "Eric M. Hopper" <hopper@omnifarious.mn.org> said:
>
>|       This is one of the reasons I find patent and copyright law to be
>|somewhat disturbing, and in need of some rethinking.  What would've
>|happened if Einstein had tried to patent General Relativity, or had
>|copyrighted the formula 'E = mc^2'?
>
>Not possible.
>
>Patents are not available for "algorithms" or for discoveries as
>opposed to inventions.
>
>The formula E=mc^2, likewise, is too short (the courts use the Latis
>phrase de minimis) to be subject to copyright protection.
>
>No "rethinking" of the current state of the law is necessary to allay
>your concern.
>
>--
>-----------------------------------------------------------
>"Ethical at One of One dot Net" <ethical@1of1.net>
>[T. Guilbert]
>Past president, Oregon Patent Law Association
>-----------------------------------------------------------
>

_______________________________________________________________________
Cem Kaner, J.D., Ph.D.
P.O. Box 1200, Santa Clara, CA 95052

http://www.kaner.com
http://www.badsoftware.com

Author (with Falk &  Nguyen) of TESTING COMPUTER SOFTWARE (2nd Ed, VNR)
Author (with David Pels) of BAD SOFTWARE (Wiley, 1998)

This e-mail communication should not be interpreted as legal advice
or a legal opinion.  The transmission of this e-mail communication
does not create an attorney-client relationship between me and you.
Do not act or rely upon law-related information in this communication
without seeking the advice of an attorney. Finally, nothing in this
message should be interpreted as a "digital signature" or "electronic
signature" that can create binding commercial transactions.