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Re:Ask HN: Great idea, but loose/vague patents might exist by krainboltgreene on Friday December 17, 2010 @11:17AM (#2016617)
Would that really make a difference? Interesting idea.
Re:Ask HN: Great idea, but loose/vague patents might exist by ablutop on Friday December 17, 2010 @12:24PM (#2016889)
(IANAL) In Europe, software is not patentable unless there is a kind of physical/technical effect that goes beyond the normal interaction between the program and the computer.

The usual example is the software to control a anti-lock braking system: as there is a technical effect, it is patentable...

More details here: http://www.epo.org/topics/issues/computer-implemented-invent...