🚀 go-pugleaf

In aus.computers.linux _ <_@_._> wrote:

>> Our patent system will NOT be changed by the FTA and whatever
>> silly stuff applys to the US system, APPLYS NOW ANYWAY, fuckwit.

> Not really true.  It's harder to get granted s/w patents here
> than in the US.

It seems that US precedents have started being accepted as common
law in Australia, with regards to patent issues anyhow. There never
was an actual Australian landmark case where software patents switched
from outlawed to allowable -- instead we just accepted that the USPTO
was doing it so we should start following along (i.e. Australia
accepted the US Supreme Court decision in Diamond v. Diehr and Lutton).
Strictly speaking, this is NOT backed by Australian legislation and
software patents might be challenged on the basis that no Australian
statutory law states that software is patentable, and our law
explicitly states that mathematical formulas are NOT patentable.

If the FTA comes into effect, our courts will have some real
legislation instructing them to do whatever the USA is doing.

>>>He said huge software houses had the resources to obtain patents.
>> 
>> And most dont bother, even in the US system, fool.

> Rubbish. You obviously don't follow it closely enough.

Hmmm, a quick search at http://www.uspto.gov/

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
    [US Patent & Trademark Office, Patent Full Text and Image Database]
                                      
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   Searching 1976 to present...       
   Results of Search in 1976 to present db for:
   Microsoft: 22165 patents.
   Hits 1 through 50 out of 22165  
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Try it for yourself if you don't believe me. Could anyone really
be fool enough to say that huge software houses are not
interested in patents?

>> Its done and dusted, fool.

> Yep.

Not until it passes federal parliament -- we are a parliamentary
democracy remember, and hey, there is an election coming up.
Ho... think about that, citizens using their vote to do something
meaningful and exercise choice in how their country is governed.

	- Tel