Second chance saloon: opposing software patents

The software industry has seen its fair share of innovation, patenting and litigation, yet national regimes remain divided as to what constitutes patentable subject matter in this area. The 2010 US Bilski decision—a case involving a method of hedging risks in commodities trading—held that business methods were patentable, as long as they are not directed at abstract ideas. In Europe, computer-implemented inventions are not patentable unless they make technical contributions or solve technical problems.