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European Patent Office grants software patents

Revision as of 06:30, 27 September 2012 by Ciaran (talk | contribs) (External links: * [http://eupat.ffii.org/pikta/mupli/index.en.html European Software Patents: Assorted Examples], by FFII * [http://www.nosoftwarepatents-award.com/ Software patent of the yea)

This article lists examples of software patents granted by the European Patent Office (EPO) in spite of their repeated public claims of not granting software patents. You will also find links on this page to other collections of examples.

The EPO's public denial

Here's an example of a public statement from the EPO. This is from 2009:

The EPO does not grant "software patents". The term itself is a misleading concept. Under the EPC a computer program claimed as such is not a patentable invention (Art. 52(2)(c) and (3) EPC). Inventions involving computer programs that implement business, mathematical or similar methods and do not produce technical effects (e. g. because they solve a business problem rather than a technical one) are not patentable, and no patents will be granted for such inventions in Europe.[1]

Examples of granted software patents

The following are chosen among many for being as obviously software as possible:

Related pages on ESP Wiki

External links

References