Texas Instruments:
We'll sell you this calculator...
Possible
Customer:
Excellent, looks like it can do quite a bit.
TI:
Yuppers,
you can use it to calculate anything.
Customer punching the keys on the
keypad:
Cool, it comes with the compound interest formula - I only have
$63,572.91 in interest left to pay on Mortgage!
TI:
That'll be
$0.01 please.
Customer chuckling:
What?
TI:
Using the
device requires a license because we've patented the common use of the device as
applied to any formula. Each time you use it, you'll be required to pay a
license fee of 1 cent.
Customer chuckling:
Yea...
right!
TI:
If you do not pay the penny, we're going to have to initiate
a lawsuit.
No longer possible, no longer chuckling Customer:
You're
serious.
TI:
Yup! You can't use it without paying us each time you use
it.
Irritated Citizen:
I purchase it. I own it. And I still have to
pay you each time I use it?
TI:
Yup!
That scenario
really makes sense to you?
Of course, there's the other little issue that
software - even in that setting - is still nothing but abstract, nothing but
math. And still not patentable.
Of course, you're suggestion is ignoring
the clear statement by the Supremes in
Mayo:
simply implementing a mathematical principle on a physical
machine, namely a computer, was not a patentable application of that
principle
Emphasis mine.
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