They don't seem to handle competition well.

http://www.appy-geek.com/Web/ArticleWeb.aspx?regionid=1&articleid=3668503

Lol how the hell can you own the patent for displaying content on touch screens???

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/441/when-patents-attack/

This phrase should apply for all of the patent wars going on.

"Don't hate the player, hate the game."

I've said it before...software patents are retarded.

I Wear Pants;1233539 wrote:I've said it before...software patents are retarded.

Eh, I can see software patents. DISPLAY patents, on the other hand, are on such an arbitrary spectrum of similarity that it's nearly impossible to enforce.

O-Trap;1233543 wrote:Eh, I can see software patents. DISPLAY patents, on the other hand, are on such an arbitrary spectrum of similarity that it's nearly impossible to enforce.

Software patents (and I'm talking about all of them) are one of the biggest problems with the industry right now. "A method for displaying photos on screen in a grid" should not be able to be patented. They're far too broad and result in this constant lawyer gangbang from all the big tech companies and patent trolls.

I Wear Pants;1233564 wrote:Software patents (and I'm talking about all of them) are one of the biggest problems with the industry right now. "A method for displaying photos on screen in a grid" should not be able to be patented. They're far too broad and result in this constant lawyer gangbang from all the big tech companies and patent trolls.

I agree with your "method" conclusion, as it is related to the display.

However, a lack of patents in software would not only fail to protect software designers and owners from essentially people reverse engineering it and just private-labeling it. That would honestly stifle people from developing some softwares and would stifle the public release of others.

Software is little different than any other intellectual property.

However, I do think it it's too far to begin patenting the wrapping paper instead of the gift itself.

O-Trap;1233570 wrote:I agree with your "method" conclusion, as it is related to the display.

However, a lack of patents in software would not only fail to protect software designers and owners from essentially people reverse engineering it and just private-labeling it. That would honestly stifle people from developing some softwares and would stifle the public release of others.

Software is little different than any other intellectual property.

However, I do think it it's too far to begin patenting the wrapping paper instead of the gift itself.

You shouldn't be able to patent software. Copyright, not patent.

O-Trap;1233570 wrote:
However, a lack of patents in software would not only fail to protect software designers and owners from essentially people reverse engineering it and just private-labeling it. That would honestly stifle people from developing some softwares and would stifle the public release of others.

I've found copyright law able to protect my interests in that regard.

I Wear Pants;1233577 wrote:You shouldn't be able to patent software. Copyright, not patent.

Okay. Fair enough. I'm open to that case.

The current system with allowing software to be patented results in far more damage from patent trolls and cost increases from companies suing each other (look at how Microsoft gets like $5 per Android device sold) than it does in benefiting new companies and new ideas (the whole damned point).

If it doesn't need scrapped entirely software patent law needs rewrote so much that it wouldn't even be recognizable anymore.

The estate of alexander graham bell should sue Apple for using a phone to put their display on.

Glory Days;1233598 wrote:The estate of alexander graham bell should sue Apple for using a phone to put their display on.

Funny but also sad because they probably could anymore.

Patents weren't meant to give people eternal monopolies over ideas/concepts but rather protect them from loosing their investment or from benefiting from their ingenuity. But now they're used to eternally block anyone from making anything remotely similar.