English Court Allows Patents For "Complex" Software

jonbryce writes "The court of appeal in England has ruled that companies should be granted patents for 'complex' software products. In this particular case, Symbian had written something that makes mobile phones run faster. The court case has received very little attention because of the bank crisis, but it can be appealed to the House of Lords and then the European Court of Justice."

Re:Complex?

[spazdor]

In legal context, it probably means "Any technology which you can successfully confuse a jury by explaining."

In other news, the Church-Turing thesis has been declared false by judicial fiat. Any algorithms which are discovered to be functionally identical to any others are to be rounded up and shot in order to protect freedom.

Re:UK != England

[Harmonious Botch]

The diagram is outdated. I believe the British own Iceland now.

Nobody expects the capitalist revolution!

[Anonymous Coward]

Our primary weapon is fear. Fear and greed. Greed and fear. Our two primary weapons are greed and fear. And unmitigated ego. Our three primary weapons are greed, fear, and unmitigated ego. Along with deception and coercion. Our five primary weapons... no... amongst our weapons... amongst our weaponry... are such elements as fear, greed... I'll come in again.

Re:Complex?

[s_p_oneil]

How about this definition? If the software is as complex as the EULA you had to accept to install it, then it's in.

Re:UK != England

[beav007]

Confusing England with the UK is like confusing California with the USA.

Are you saying that California has become a sovereign nation, or that England has become a state of the UK, and the UK has become a country.

A closer analogy is confusing England with the UK is like confusing Mexico with Northern America (the continent). The issue with that is that is that Northern America isn't a united kingdom.

The correct analogy is: confusing England with the UK is like confusing 'chassis' with 'car'.

Oh wow.

[jd]

I took it as meaning "any program that cannot be expressed as an integer, by means of a Turing Machine, but requires an imaginary component".

Re:Complex?

[Chrisq]

In legal context, it probably means "Any technology which you can successfully confuse a jury by explaining."

That's not so bad. I thought it might be any technology that a High Court Judge would be confused by.

Re:UK != England

[Anonymous Coward]

Confusing England with the UK is like confusing California with the USA. It's especially unforgivable when the correct term is screaming at you from the page and you ignore it and write your own tripe instead. "UK" appears in that article nine times, England not once.

Oh simmer down, all you mexicans look alike to us anyway. :)