New Zealand Ends Patents for Basic Software
International technology giants won’t be able to get patents for basic software under a law passed by the New Zealand government, although protection for significant innovations and programs will remain under the country’s copyright law.
The New Zealand government updated its 60-year-old patent bill with a new law that acknowledges overseas influences in New Zealand but perhaps more controversially prevents both local and international companies receiving patents for their software. Local patent experts say the move brings the country in line with the U.K. and Europe, which already prevent the patenting of software...
In a related article posted on Motherboard it states, "By a vote of 117 to 4, New Zealand passed legislation banning software patents. The bill's passage serves as a stark counterpoint to last week's GAO study, which laid out in detail that the majority of US patent lawsuits now occur in the software realm. Patent troll heads must be spinning with this news from down under."
“This Bill is marks a significant step towards driving innovation in New Zealand, it replaces sixty year-old legislation and introduces a patent system suited for the 21st century," says Craig Foss, New Zealand's Commerce Secretary.
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