Supreme Court Upholds Software Patents in Bilski Decision
Today, the Supreme Court of the United States issued its opinion in Bilski v. Kappos, finding that Bilski’s patent was not valid, but reaffirming the patentability of methods and software.
Microsoft v. TomTom – First thoughts
Today, Microsoft announced that it had filed a legal action with the International Trade Commission (ITC) against automotive navigation systems maker, TomTom for infringement of several different Microsoft patents. Given the size and notoriety of the two companies, it’s clear that this will get a lot more attention the hundreds of [...]
TADC Conference – ‘Other people’s stuff should be Free, not mine’
Today at the Carnagie Institution the Trans Atlantic Consumer Dialogue held a conference called “Patents, Copyrights, and Knowledge Governance: The Next Four Years”. Here’s the top blurb about the event: As a new Administration will take office in Washington, and the European Union renews its institutions, what should the political [...]
Tivo vs. EchoStar – Why We Need Patents More Than Ever
The patent system has gotten a (sometimes deservedly) bad rap in recent years, but yesterday’s Supreme Court decision in the Tivo v. Echostar case is a great reminder of what patents are SUPPOSED to do: reward real innovators and keep larger competitors from stealing their work. By all accounts, Tivo [...]
Has anyone actually READ the European Commission’s Open Source Study?
Recently, the tech press and blogging community have been buzzing over a new European Commission report on the economic impact of Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) on the European information and communication technologies (ICT) sector. One thing, however, is notably missing from the online debate over the nearly 300 page [...]