Arlene McCarthy's software patent "factsheet"

Arlene McCarthy's software patent "factsheet"

I really would like to see good examples from McCarthy of such invention (there must be some since she argues that 30000 such inventions have been handed out by European Patent Office). I think a good example should be presented and show such an invention that there would nothing to arguee against it.

Already posted to an earlier article, but worth repeating that the ffii already made such a overview.

I thought the "Test Suite" that the ffii/eurolinux people came up with was pretty good: http://swpat.ffii.org/analysis/testsuite/index.en.html and http://www.ffii.org/proj/kunst/swpat/pamflet/europarl03-testbed.en.pdf

It presents some of these patents that the EPO has illegally granted in the past and asks some simple questions be answered:

• Is this an algorithm?
• Is this a business method?
• Is there a "technical contribution"?
• Should this innovation be patentable subject matter?
• Does your favorite proposal clearly say so?

• Would any judge reach the same conclusions?
• Where are areas of incertainty?

It would be good to get some answers to the above questions before the European Parlement votes on this.