Title :
Patentability of Software
Author_Institution :
Interdiscipl. Center Herzliya (IDC), Herzliya, Israel
Abstract :
The inclusion of algorithms and software in the scope of patent able subject matter has resulted in many software patents and in an ongoing debate on the contribution of software patents to innovation and economic growth. This paper describes the basic concepts of patent law, emphasizing differences between the U.S. and European approaches to software patents. It demonstrates the difficulties in determining if a software invention is patent able. It describes relevant problems and challenges, and suggests directions. It is important for computer professionals to gain knowledge in the patents domain, and this paper provides a useful introduction.
Keywords :
patents; software engineering; Europe; US; computer professionals; economic growth; innovation; patent law; software invention; software patentability; Art; Computers; Monopoly; Patents; Software; Software algorithms; Technological innovation; business methods; intellectual property; inventions; patent; patent law; patentability; software patents;
Conference_Titel :
Software Science, Technology and Engineering (SWSTE), 2012 IEEE International Conference on
Conference_Location :
Herzlia
Print_ISBN :
978-1-4673-1721-4
DOI :
10.1109/SWSTE.2012.19