Generally speaking, I am not in favor of software patents. That said, I do think there are some that are worthy of such protections. I am the sole inventor of a patent for adaptive systems related to binary compiled languages/programs. The solution to a major problem that allows users to modify/create classes and methods in compiled programs without actually changing existing code or recompiling/linking new code, was, IMO, novel, non-obvious, and transformative - hence suitable for patent rights. There are related technologies, such as reflection patterns in Java, .net, et al, but they still require compiling (if even at runtime) code to machine or byte code before it can be used by a program. My solution does not require this step.
So, are software patents bad? I'd say that in 99.9% of the time, they are technologically worthless and should not be granted such status. However, there is that 0.1% that are.
So, in the final analysis, I would prefer that software was made unpatentable. Let such "innovations" be trade secrets in that duplication of function does not mean infringement!
Generally speaking, I am not in favor of software patents. That said, I do think there are some that are worthy of such protections. I am the sole inventor of a patent for adaptive systems related to binary compiled languages/programs. The solution to a major problem that allows users to modify/create classes and methods in compiled programs without actually changing existing code or recompiling/linking new code, was, IMO, novel, non-obvious, and transformative - hence suitable for patent rights. There are related technologies, such as reflection patterns in Java, .net, et al, but they still require compiling (if even at runtime) code to machine or byte code before it can be used by a program. My solution does not require this step.
So, are software patents bad? I'd say that in 99.9% of the time, they are technologically worthless and should not be granted such status. However, there is that 0.1% that are.
So, in the final analysis, I would prefer that software was made unpatentable. Let such "innovations" be trade secrets in that duplication of function does not mean infringement!