The United States Vs. The European Union: An Ethical Analysis of Software Patents :: Patents Compare Contrast Essays

The joined States Vs. The European fraternity An Ethical Analysis of packet PatentsIntroductionPatents have become a major part of technology in our society. The overall purpose of patents is to labour the disclosure of innovations so that others may make improvements based on those impertinently technologies, while at the same time rewarding those who came up with the invention. They endow the inventor of an innovation a monopoly of their innovation for a limited meter of time. After the time period has expired, anyone is free to use the innovation as they wish. Patents have worked well over the past century, enabling innovators to make proficient improvements that would have been impossible without the help of prior inventions. Software Engineering is an engine room field that is very brand-new relative to the other areas of science and engineer. Software Engineering is very diametrical from any other kind of engineering. ethically it is unreasonable to be able to apply the old patent laws to this new field of Software Engineering, without making any modifications to the laws. Software patents are non wrong entirely, in that it is still good to provide rewards to those who innovate. According the United States patent system, ideas are not patentable, while innovations are patentable. Software engineering blurs the line between ideas and innovation, in that computer software stop be viewed as both an idea in the sense that it is a series of numeral expressions, or it can be viewed as an innovation in that it can be delivered as an executable product. If patents are to be issued for software, a different system of laws governing software innovations needs to be established. The discrepancy on how to treat patents in software is illustrated by the opposing stances of the United States (who issues software patents) and the European Union (who does not issue software patents).History of PatentsThe master(prenominal) idea behind patents is to promot e proficient innovations. For there to be technological innovation for society as a whole, two things must happen. First, throng must be able to study other peoples innovations in secern to further technology in society, because they can use the ideas of others to make counterbalance greater innovations. Second, people must have incentive to innovate. The most demonstrable solution to the first idea would be to make all innovations public, so that as soon as someone invents something, others are free to march on off of it to further technology.