1994 USPTO software patent hearings

In 1994, the USPTO held hearings on software patents.

Many companies that argued against software patents at this hearing later turned into advocates of software patents.

Statements

The following is a (partial?) list of statements made at this hearing. Can you help? check here for more

• Adobe: http://www.jamesshuggins.com/h/tek1/software_patent_adobe.htm
• Autodesk: http://www.jamesshuggins.com/h/tek1/software_patent_autodesk.htm
• Borland International: http://www.jamesshuggins.com/h/tek1/software_patent_borland.htm
• IBM: http://www.jamesshuggins.com/h/tek1/software_patent_ibm.htm
• Microsoft: http://www.jamesshuggins.com/h/tek1/software_patent_microsoft.htm
• Mitch Kapor (Founder of Lotus): http://www.jamesshuggins.com/h/tek1/software_patent_kapor.htm
• Oracle: http://www.bustpatents.com/articles/oracle.htm
• Silicon Graphics: http://www.jamesshuggins.com/h/tek1/software_patent_sgi.htm
• Sun Microsystems: http://www.jamesshuggins.com/h/tek1/software_patent_sun.htm
• Synopsys: http://www.jamesshuggins.com/h/tek1/software_patent_synopsys.htm
• Time Warner Cable: http://www.jamesshuggins.com/h/tek1/software_patent_timewarner.htm
• Videodiscovery: http://www.jamesshuggins.com/h/tek1/software_patent_videodiscovery.htm
• Wind River Systems: http://www.jamesshuggins.com/h/tek1/software_patent_windriver.htm

Related pages on ESP Wiki

• Who lobbied for software patents
• Consultations from patent offices, governments, and courts
• Changes in company policy over time

External links

• USPTO.gov's page section about the "Public Hearings on Software Patents"
• James Huggins' pages about the hearings
• http://www.bustpatents.com/articles/oracle.htm (see Oracle)
• http://progfree.org/Patents/san-jose.html - LPF
• www.base.com/software-patents/software-patents.html (archive.org copy) - also listing positions from this hearing