Inventing Software: The Rise of Computer-Related Patents

(Hardback)

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Since the introduction of personal computers, software has emerged as a driving force in the global economy and a major industry in its own right. During this time, the U.S. government has reversed its prior policy against software patents and is now issuing thousands of such patents each year, provoking heated controversy among programmers, lawyers, scholars, and software companies. This book is the first to step outside of the highly-polarized debate and examine the current state of the law, its suitability to the realities of software development, and its implications for day-to-day software development. Written by a former lawyer and working software developer, Inventing Software provides a comprehensive overview of software patents, from the lofty perspectives of legal history and computing theory to the technical details and issues of actual patents. People interested in the legal aspect of software patents will find detailed technical analysis of actual patented software, the legal strategies behind the wording of the patents, and an analysis of the ease or difficulty of detecting infringements. Software developers will find ways to integrate patent planning into their standard software engineering practices, and a practical guide for studying and appraising their competitors' patents and safeguarding the value of their own. Intended primarily for programmers and software industry executives and managers, Inventing Software will also be useful, illuminating reading for attorneys and software company investors.

Reviews

Nichols is an Oracle database consultant, with degrees in computer science and law, so it is not surprising that he was able to write a good mix of law and software concepts. As such, I can strongly recommend the book for both lawyers and software engineers....Nichol's book is well worth reading if your work will be affected by software patents.-American Inventors
This book will make software inventors aware of what constitutes infringement and thus help them avoid such pitfalls when inventing new software....Overall I would recommend this book.-Bimonthly Review of Law Books
"This book will make software inventors aware of what constitutes infringement and thus help them avoid such pitfalls when inventing new software....Overall I would recommend this book."-Bimonthly Review of Law Books
"Nichols is an Oracle database consultant, with degrees in computer science and law, so it is not surprising that he was able to write a good mix of law and software concepts. As such, I can strongly recommend the book for both lawyers and software engineers....Nichol's book is well worth reading if your work will be affected by software patents."-American Inventors

Author Bio

KENNETH NICHOLS is an independent Oracle database consultant in Great Britain. He holds an M.S. in Computer Science from California State University and a J.D. from UCLA, and has had more than 15 years experience in the computer industry.