Patent Court Torn on Whether Software Can Be Protected Invention
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The nation’s top patent court issued a deeply divided opinion today on how to determine if software is eligible for legal protection, reflecting the broader debate that has split the computer industry.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, which handles all patent appeals, issued a 135-page decision by 10 circuit judges that included five viewpoints and “additional reflections” from Chief Judge Randall Rader.