Re:Federal Circuit reexamining whether software is patentable
by overbroad on Tuesday October 09, 2012 @10:04PM
(#4634752)
Have you even looked at the rules? Paper sizes, fonts, lengths, deadlines. Do you need to be a lawyer to understand rules like those?
You are only interested in what they say about amicus briefs.
Anyway, I'm not even sure you can file amicus briefs for this case as a developer worried about software patents. But there's no harm in reading those rules. They are boring but that's what everyone has to follow. If you want to send stuff to the court, then you'd be wise to read those rules first. Take the initiative. Ask questions.
Maybe some weathly developers will call their lawyers and ask them what can be done? What are the chances of that?
Apathy. It favors the patent trolls.
If you are indeed a lawyer, would you (or any other lawyer here) be willing to draft a template that software engineers can customize (the interest section), sign, and mail to the court?
Bilski v Kappos is a case that dealt with similar subject matter. The FSF[2], SFLC[3], Red Hat[4], and Google [5] filed amicus curiae briefs lamenting software patents. Surely there is something reusable here, especially from Red Hat pages 12-19.
[1] (see pages 56-57) http://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/images/stories/rules-of-practic...
[2] http://endsoftpatents.org/amicus-bilski-2009
[3] http://www.softwarefreedom.org/resources/2009/bilski-amicus-...
[4] http://www.groklaw.net/images/BilskiRedHatSCbrief.pdf
[5] http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/publishing/previe...