They are all patents on using a general-purpose calculating machine, to perform specific mathematical calculations whose results can be interpreted as having a certain semantic meaning.

...Even arithmetic coding, which is closer to a "pure math" application than most pieces of software, is effectively the same thing as a supposedly-different thing called "range coding". The math makes them completely equivalent, but range coding was published in the public domain in the late 70's, and people were still getting patents on arithmetic coding in the 90's.

That's one of the many problems with allowing patents on abstractions, on ideas, on mathematics. Even recognizing that two patents or publications describe the same subject matter seems to be beyond the capabilities of the patent system. How can we demand that all programmers everywhere deal with it?

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• all software patents are like that - Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, November 30 2012 @ 10:25 AM EST

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