Tech companies call for ban on patenting abstract ideasDecember 10, 2012 - 17:33 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A group of tech companies including Google, Facebook, Red Hat and Dell have stepped into a U.S. patent case to call for a ban on patenting abstract ideas, according to TG Daily. The companies, which also include Rackspace, Zynga and Intuit, have filed a third-party amicus brief in the case of CLS Bank International vs Alice Corp, currently before the U.S. federal Court of Appeals. They're arguing that the Alice patents involved, which cover financial processes, are invalid because they are too obvious and abstract. Describing a process and then trying to patent 'doing it on a computer' is pretty meaningless, they say. "A disturbing number of patents amount to no more than describing an abstract idea at a high level of generality and saying to perform it on a computer or over the internet — without providing any of the specifics required to transform abstract ideas into patentable inventions," the companies say in their brief. "Low-quality patents in computer-related industries have become a scourge that raises costs and places a drag on innovation. One study found that patents in these [tech] industries have produced net litigation costs far in excess of the net profits derived from the patents themselves." Top stories Yerevan will host the 2024 edition of the World Congress On Information Technology (WCIT). Rustam Badasyan said due to the lack of such regulation, the state budget is deprived of VAT revenues. Krisp’s smart noise suppression tech silences ambient sounds and isolates your voice for calls. Gurgen Khachatryan claimed that the "illegalities have been taking place in 2020." Partner news Most popular in the section | Pashinyan’s spokesperson denies intention to visit Baku for COP29 Pashinyan’s agenda doesn’t include a trip to Baku for the COP29 conference, his press secretary Nazeli Baghdasaryan has said. Russia accuses West of preparing invasion of CSTO countries NATO is preparing an invasion of the CSTO countries, the number of provocations in the air is growing, Sergei Shoigu has said. Lithuania sending €100,000 to help Armenia fight floods consequences Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan took to social media to thank his Lithuanian counterpart for the contribution. Armenia: Rescue workers restore pedestrian bridge for flood-hit community Rescue workers on Wednesday, June 5 restored a pedestrian bridge in the town of Alaverdi in Armenia’s north. |