[sword-devel] software patents (was Re: Has the Russian...)

[Norbert Bollow]

> There are no software patents in Europe.

Unfortunately this is not true. If the actual text of the European
Patent Agreement were still interpreted in a straightforward manner,
what you wrote would be true. However for many years now the
European Patent Office has been granting software patents (calling
them "patents on software implemented inventions", thereby working
around the language in the European Patent Agreement that excludes
patents on "computer programs as such") and since many years also
the courts are going along with this.

Blessings and greetings,
Norbert