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(Patent office: ==Patent office decisions==)
(:''The big hot topic is '''New Zealand Patents Bill 235'''. May 2013: new text might block software patents.'')
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:''Breaking news: '''[http://news.swpat.org/2010/07/new-zealand-returns-to-abolition-of-software-patents/ New Zealand returns to abolition of software patents]''', July 15<sup>th</sup> 2010''
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:''The big hot topic is '''[[New Zealand Patents Bill 235]]'''.  May 2013: new text might block software patents.''
==Patents Bill 2009==
 
===Summary===
 
The proposed Patents Bill affects the whole NZ patents systemRegarding software, it will introduce unlimited software patenting. It will almost certainly go through since it is considered both necessary and overdue. The issue was that the implications it has on software had not been sufficiently considered or discussed.
 
  
===Current status===
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==Patents Bill 2009 (as of 2012, still ongoing)==
  
2nd April 2010: '''Success!'''  The commerce committee has recommended "Computer software" be excluded from patentability. [http://legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2008/0235/latest/whole.html HTML] [http://www.parliament.nz/NR/rdonlyres/B6E4F834-C47A-426A-86B8-F573ED4F5E04/132519/DBSCH_SCR_4679_PatentsBill2352_7434_1.pdf PDF].
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{{also|New Zealand Patents Bill 235}}
  
'''IMPORTANT''':  It is still possible for parliament to override this after the second reading , which is uncommon and not likely but it has occurred before (s92a copyright ammendments) and should be monitored closely.  The date of the second reading is not yet known.
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==Unifying examination with Australia 2012==
  
Articles about this win:
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In 2012, the government published a the Building Innovation<ref>http://www.mbie.govt.nz/what-we-do/business-growth-agenda/building-innovation</ref> report. The only relevant mention of patents was one general statement:
* [http://passthesource.org.nz/2010/03/30/no-software-patents-in-new-zealand/ Pass the source]
 
* [http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/thumbs-down-for-software-patents-in-nz Computer World]
 
* [http://nzoss.org.nz/news/2010/computer-programs-will-not-be-patentable NZOSS]
 
  
===Who's lobbying ''for'' software patents===
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<blockquote>
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Passing the Patents Bill will align our patent laws more closely with those of our trading partners and international best practice.
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</blockquote>
  
* [[NZICT]]<ref>http://davelane.name/blog/dave/nzict-unwarranted-influence-software-patents NZICT</ref>
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"aligning with trading partners" ''could'' be a euphemism for taking orders from the [[USA]], or it could be innocuous.
 
 
===Who's against software patents===
 
 
 
* NZCS.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nzcs.org.nz/news/blog.php?/archives/97-.html|title=It's official: Software will be unpatentable in NZ|quote=...on balance, we believe they represent a far greater risk to smaller NZ-based software providers than opportunity, and there are many cases where they have significantly stifled innovation.}}</ref>  From a recent survey, 80% of their members were against software patents.<ref>http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/nzcs-lobbies-to-end-patent-protection-for-software</ref>
 
* NZOSS ([http://nzoss.org.nz nzoss.org.nz]) - members of which wrote letters which lead to the government recommending abolition of software patents.
 
 
 
===History===
 
This bill is the culmination of a review of the Patents Act 1953, which was started in August 2000.<ref>http://www.med.govt.nz/templates/ContentTopicSummary____5876.aspx</ref> The bill intends to completely replace the old Patents Act (1953).  As part of the review, initial [http://www.med.govt.nz/templates/MultipageDocumentPage____1461.aspx submissions from the public were sought in 2002]. The Ministry of Economic Development's website hosts a summary of those submissions, including a section on [http://www.med.govt.nz/templates/MultipageDocumentPage____1443.aspx Business Methods and Software], in which it seems only 14 submissions commented on software, and mostly only corporates, including Telecom NZ.  '''Many of those few submissions were in favour of software patents''', however about half "''were against mere schemes or plans, mathematical algorithms and other abstracts concepts being patentable, although suggestions varied on how this could be best achieved within the Act.''".
 
 
 
Judith Tizard introduced the proposed act to parliament in 2008.  Tizard also introduced S92 copyright law amendments (provoking the [http://creativefreedom.org.nz/blackout.html Internet Blackout] in February).  [http://www.med.govt.nz/templates/MultipageDocumentPage____1324.aspx Tizard stated in 2005 in stage 3 of the review] that "''Concern has been expressed in some quarters that allowing patents for business methods and software may in fact stifle [[innovation]] in these fields, rather than encourage it, and that business methods and software should not be patentable at all. '''There is no evidence, however, to support such a concern'''. [...]  There are, then, no strong arguments for specifically excluding business methods and software from patent protection. In light of this, I consider that business methods and software should continue to be patentable as long as they meet the requirements for patentability.''"  Which is clearly a very poorly informed recommendation.
 
 
 
It seems that stage 3 of the review may have also [http://www.med.govt.nz/templates/MultipageDocumentPage____1309.aspx handed the responsibility of this part off to a Select Committee]: "''11. Submitters raised a number of policy issues. Most of the issues raised were of a nature that would be best dealt when the Bill is considered by a Select Committee. These issues included; ... 2. The '''patentability of computer software''' and business methods;''":
 
 
 
At the first reading on 5 May 2009, [http://theyworkforyou.co.nz/bills/patents/2009/may/05/first_reading#party_vote the party votes were]:
 
* Supporting: National, Labour, ACT, Progres., United F, totaling 107 votes.
 
* Not supporting: Green, Maori, totalling 14 votes.
 
 
 
[http://theyworkforyou.co.nz/bills/patents/2009/may/05/first_reading#green_9 Kevin Hague (Green MP) – the '''only''' MP to mention software in the first reading] – points out that "''the [[Incompatible timespans|20-year duration]] of patent coverage may be reasonable for a new mousetrap, but is effectively forever for a software idea''". Kevin Hague is against software patents.
 
 
 
The Commerce Committee of the Parliament was [http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/PB/SC/MakeSub/e/c/4/49SCCOpatentsbill200907021-Patents-Bill.htm inviting comments  on the fill till July 2]. The hearings, including the oral submissions, are over.
 
 
 
The commerce committee have recommended to parliament that software patents be excluded in the new patents act in section 15.  This recommendation and the patents bill is yet to have a second reading in parliament, but is well on it's way to being passed as law.
 
 
 
===Submissions===
 
* [http://egressive.com/system/files/EgressivePatentsBillSubmission.pdf Egressive Limited]
 
* [http://nzoss.org.nz/news/2009/submission-software-patents The New Zealand Open Source Society]
 
* [http://internetnz.net.nz/our-work/submissions/submission-commerce-committee-patents-bill InternetNZ]
 
* [http://www.burgess.co.nz/law/wp-content/uploads/select-committee-submission.pdf Guy Burgess]
 
 
 
There is also a supporting thesis by Joel Wiramu Pauling.  The content of [http://www.med.govt.nz/templates/ContentTopicSummary____2168.aspx a draft is publicly available].  The text of the final version may become available if all submissions are published (do they?).  In the mean time, there is a version [http://www.lulu.com/content/hardcover-book/social-representations-of-intellectual-and-creative-work/6487396 for sale].
 
 
 
===Articles===
 
* [http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/devt/84239C76EEE24D1BCC2575DC006BFFC1 Excellent Computerworld article including interviews with Don Christie and Peter Harrison of NZOSS]
 
* [http://blogsearch.google.co.nz/blogsearch?q=Patents+software+nz&scoring=d Google blog search]
 
* [http://www.google.co.nz/news?as_oq=Patents-act+Patents-bill&as_nloc=NZ Google news search]
 
 
 
===The written law===
 
[http://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2008/0235-1/latest/DLM1419225.html Section 13] defines what is patentable, and [http://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2008/0235-1/latest/DLM1419228.html#DLM1419228 sections 14] and [http://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2008/0235-1/latest/DLM1419230.html#DLM1419230 15] defines exclusions.
 
 
 
* [http://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2008/0235-1/latest/096be8ed8023edc2.pdf 3656KB PDF of the current version of the bill] includes an 82-page explanatory note.
 
* [http://theyworkforyou.co.nz/bills/patents/2009/may/05/first_reading Parliament's first reading transcript]
 
* [http://theyworkforyou.co.nz/bills/patents TheyWorkForYou.co.nz's page]
 
 
 
(The words in bold with serifs are terms that are defined by the bill.  The words in bold without serifs are references to other parts of the bill.)
 
 
 
Note that inventions must be "''a manner of manufacture''" in the new law.  However this is not sufficiently precise so as to unambiguously include or exclude software, as [http://www.burgess.co.nz/law/select-committee-review-of-the-patents-bill noted by Guy Burgess, solicitor].
 
  
 
==Patent office decisions==
 
==Patent office decisions==
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* http://www.iponz.govt.nz/cms/patents/banner_template/IPPATENT
 
* http://www.iponz.govt.nz/cms/patents/banner_template/IPPATENT
 
Then fill in one or more fields and go back to the top of the page and click "Submit query".
 
Then fill in one or more fields and go back to the top of the page and click "Submit query".
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==Legislative process==
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* [http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/AboutParl/HowPWorks/Laws/ The legislative process]
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A "SOP" is a Supplementary Order Paper, which is an amendment.
  
 
==Related pages on {{SITENAME}}==
 
==Related pages on {{SITENAME}}==
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===Government institutions===
 
===Government institutions===
 
* [http://www.parliament.govt.nz parliament.govt.nz] - the official government website where legislative procedures can be followed
 
* [http://www.parliament.govt.nz parliament.govt.nz] - the official government website where legislative procedures can be followed
** [http://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2008/0235-1/latest/DLM1419043.html Proposed text of Patents Bill]
 
** [http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/PB/Legislation/Bills/BillsDigests/a/3/2/49PLLawBD16741-Patents-Bill-2008-Bills-Digest-No-1674.htm Summary of the bill]
 
** [http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/PB/SC/MakeSub/e/c/4/49SCCOpatentsbill200907021-Patents-Bill.htm Invite for submissions regarding Patents Bill before July 2nd]
 
 
* [http://www.iponz.govt.nz/ Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand], the national patent office
 
* [http://www.iponz.govt.nz/ Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand], the national patent office
 
===Third-party pages about The Patents Bill===
 
* http://theyworkforyou.co.nz/bills/patents
 
* [http://lists.ethernal.org/pipermail/dunlug/2009-June/thread.html#4604 Archives of Dunlug mailing list where this was also discussed, June 2009]
 
<!-- [http://lists.ffii.org/mailman/listinfo/nz-parl/ another source of info, login required] -->
 
  
 
===Other===
 
===Other===

Revision as of 09:03, 10 May 2013


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The big hot topic is New Zealand Patents Bill 235. May 2013: new text might block software patents.

Patents Bill 2009 (as of 2012, still ongoing)

See also: New Zealand Patents Bill 235

Unifying examination with Australia 2012

In 2012, the government published a the Building Innovation[1] report. The only relevant mention of patents was one general statement:

Passing the Patents Bill will align our patent laws more closely with those of our trading partners and international best practice.

"aligning with trading partners" could be a euphemism for taking orders from the USA, or it could be innocuous.

Patent office decisions

The Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ) is responsible for examining patent applications.

In 2005, they approved an application for using a computer with an XML word-processor document, displayed with an XML Schema Definition, using software with the functionality of "parsing, modifying, reading, and creating the word-processor document".[2] [3]

To search for patents on the NZIPO website, go to their search page:

Then fill in one or more fields and go back to the top of the page and click "Submit query".

Legislative process

A "SOP" is a Supplementary Order Paper, which is an amendment.

Related pages on ESP Wiki

External links

Government institutions

Other

References