This course isn't intended to make you a legal expert, but you should know how computing technology, like software, has affected the public debate about what is patentable.
And so today in class we'll cover some brief stories about some things you might not have known are patentable.
- Like a sealed crustless sandwich
- Or a "Method and means for creating anti-gravity illusion" (who's the inventor?)
Which brings us to the probably the most famous and controversial example of a patent related to software:
- Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' one-click purchase patent
Which has been in the news lately:
- "Amazon.com's 1-Click patent confirmed following re-exam"
- "Amazon One-Click Patent Slides Through Reexamination"
Which brings us to the topic of whether you can patent an abstract process, like a business process or software algorithm at all. Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a much-anticipated decision on this topic:
Keep in mind that both the EFF and the FSF are lobbies organized to oppose software patents. Can you find any opinions on the other side? What about Canada?
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