Software parents

A third reason software is unique in the world of patents it that these patents are often overly broad. Related to this is the fact that software is difficult to describe in precise terms.

Software patents have been a topic of debate for decades. In , they created guidelines saying that computer programs were unpatentable.

However, via a long series of court cases, this viewpoint gradually changed. These cases included:. The guidelines are constantly changing as the result of cases in the Supreme Court and the Federal Court of Appeals.

Guidelines issued in gave direction on both hardware and software patents. One of the primary purposes of the guidelines is to help the USPTO decide whether specific inventions qualify for patents. Temporary guidelines were released in late because of the case Alice Corp v. CLS Bank. The Supreme Court decided that software for managing settlement risk did not qualify for a patent. It was labeled an abstract idea. In the Alice case, the court decided that a claim on the patent application focused on an abstract idea.

This is notable because most patents have some sort of abstract idea in them, but in this incident, the claim was specifically directed at that idea. The court's decision involved a lot of legalese, but the end result had a vast impact on the world of software patent law.

The Alice case set a precedent. If a piece of software improves the way a computer or another device functions, it is more likely to qualify for a patent. This case, as well as the Bilski v Kappos case, contributed to the ever-changing guidance on what is patentable and what is not.

Many patents were labeled invalid after the Alice case. After software was first recognized as deserving of patents, the USPTO still didn't research as well as it should have when reviewing applications. This resulted in some patents being issued for inventions that did not truly deserve it. Many believe that software patents are a threat to innovation. This is because new programs often rely on older, patented programs to work well.

Patents can interfere with developers' ability to put existing programs to use. For example, a smartphone developer may be stopped from using — and perhaps improving on — a certain type of menu because a competitor holds the patent for that component. Thousands of software patents are in effect, and each one gives its holder the right to stop others from using that software program for 20 years.

The answer also depends on how the patent is written. Notice how the lookup table question above describes a technical feature of software self-referential lookup table. Whereas, the archiving system question describes what a user is enabled to do as a result of the software archive digital images. The former approach is more like to be deemed patenable, while the latter approach is more likely to be deemed unpatentable. But, if your patent attempts to claim the benefits that a customer will enjoy as a result of your software, then your invention will likely be deemed unpatentable.

Software based inventions are still patentable in the United States. But, in order to patent eligible, software patent applications must meet certain technical requirements, and must be written very carefully.

From a technical standpoint, your software may be patentable 1 if it improves computer functionality in some way i. Moreover, your software may be patent eligible only if it is written with a precise focus on the technical merits of your particular software solution.

You can improve your odds of getting a patent by describing the technical challenges in your field of invention, and specifically describing and claiming the solutions that you have come up with to address those challenges. Under the current patentability regime in the United States, software patent applications must meet one of the following two requirements to be patent eligible:. Super clear and helpful right? We discuss each of these requirements in more detail below. Brad Feld outlined some of these criticisms in his blog post here.

We tend to agree, and sympathize, with the anti-software-patent community, but software patents are often an important point of emphasis for some investors and large corporate buyers. We are not taking a position on the larger philosophical debate here; we aim to simply demystify the laws around software patent eligibility based on the rules that have been promulgated by the United States Congress and the U.

This is where a good communication strategy with your children comes in handy. Hackers are always on the lookout for any weaknesses in your security. And they know that by accessing sensitive information, they could make a lot of money. A hacker is most likely to target parental control software because it can give them access to what is probably the most valuable asset: kids.

So what does this mean for you as a parent? Keyloggers have something of a bad reputation online, as they're often used by crooks hoping to capture passwords and bank details, but they can be a force for good too, and Spyrix Free Keylogger enables you to see what your children have been up to.

Although it's dubbed parental control software, the free version of Spyrix really a monitoring program; it doesn't stop the kids getting up to no good, but it does let you see exactly what they've done.

If you want content blocking too, premium subscriptions aren't expensive. The absence of filtering means Spyrix might not be the best choice for younger kids' computers, but it may be useful for older children if you suspect online bullying or other unpleasantness. The free edition includes a blacklist that prevents your kids seeing inappropriate content online, plus app controls that let you manage app use by time used, age restrictions, and category if you don't want your kids playing games on a school night, for example.

There's also a screen time management tool to help you control overall device use,. The paid version adds more mobile-specific features, including a battery tracker so you can see if your kid's phone is about to go flat, leaving them without a way to contact you. You can also keep an eye on their location with GPS tracking, manage their social media use, and receive real-time alerts if they visit websites they shouldn't or leave a pre-defined 'safe' area.

We found that it took longer than usual to log into a Windows account when Kaspersky Safe Kids was running on a Windows 10 PC, so this is worth bearing in mind if your kids' PC is a little on the slow side already. Read our full Kaspersky Safe Kids parental control software review. Wondershare Famisafe. A premium parental control app for mobile devices, Famisafe can be installed on up to 30 devices per account.

It features all the usual tools for keeping kids safe, including setting time limits and blocking inappropriate content, but can also detect potentially inappropriate photos and text messages, block games, and monitor your kids' whereabouts with GPS and geofencing. Daryl had been freelancing for 3 years before joining TechRadar, now reporting on everything software-related.

If you have a story about an updated app or one that's about to launch, drop him a line.