Neither software nor computer programs are explicitly mentioned in statutory United States patent law. Patent law has changed to address new technologies...

the Patent Cooperation Treaty Software patents under national laws: Software patents under United States patent law Software patents under United Kingdom...

Under United States law, a patent is a right granted to the inventor of a (1) process, machine, article of manufacture, or composition of matter, (2)...

question of whether European patents granted by the European Patent Office (EPO) in these fields (sometimes called "software patents") are regarded as valid...

cases. See Glossary of patent law terms for articles on various legal aspects of patents, including special types of patents and patent applications. Anton...

in defense of software patents or defense of the patentability of computer-implemented inventions. Through public disclosure, patents encourage the open...

The history of United States patent law started even before the U.S. Constitution was adopted, with some state-specific patent laws. The history spans...

of patents and patent law is generally considered to have started with the Venetian Statute of 1474. There is some evidence that some form of patent rights...

Under United States patent law, the term of patent, provided that maintenance fees are paid on time, is 20 years from the filing date of the earliest U...

granting of patents involving software (often referred to as "software patents") is controversial and also hotly debated (see Software patent debate). Although...