Software patents: Don't take for granted

The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) in Washington DC has decided that in the future, instead of automatically granting a patent for a business practice, there will be a specific testing procedure to determine how patentable is that process. The decision is a nearly complete reversal of the court's controversial State Street Bank judgment of 1998, which started the stampede for patenting business practices.

Many people say the problem with a lot of business and software patents is that they describe simple things that many people consider normal daily procedures.
The ruling is likely to hit certain industries very hard, especially insurance, banking, accounting, and software. The decision is great for open source advocates. But it could mean a permanent change in the value of intangible assets, which comprise approximately 70 per cent of the average high-tech company’s market capitalization. With the world's economy sliding downhill at an increasing pace each day, this decision could cost US companies billions of dollars. Pamela Jones at Groklaw told the Examiner that because Microsoft doesn't make many machines, much of its patent portfolio just went up in smoke.

There is a speculation going on about if there will be an appeal in the US Supreme Court. Some legal experts say yes; others say it's not very likely because of the way the decision was worded.

So, many high-tech companies like Microsoft, Oracle might not earn as much money from software patent sector as they used to do. But, at the same time this decision will save a lot of companies cash by removing the need for endless patent protection schemes.

Internet makes people smarter, or does it?

Gary Small, a neuroscientist at UCLA in California who specializes in brain function, has found through studies that Internet searching and text messaging has made brains more adept at filtering information and making snap decisions. Small also said a study of 24 adults as they used the Web found that experienced Internet users showed double the activity in areas of the brain that control decision-making and complex reasoning as Internet beginners.

But while technology can accelerate learning and boost creativity it can have drawbacks as it can create Internet addicts whose only friends are virtual and has sparked a dramatic rise in Attention Deficit Disorder diagnoses. According to Small, the tech-savvy generation, whom he calls "digital natives," are always scanning for the next bit of new information which can create stress and even damage neural networks. Small said this multi-tasking could cause problems. There is also the big problem of neglecting human contact skills and losing the ability to read emotional expressions and body language.

So, it is clear that, the people in the next generation who are really going to have the edge are the ones who master the technological skills and also face-to-face skills. They will know when the best response to an email or Instant Message is to talk rather than sit and continue to email.

Overall, people have to find a way to blance between virtual life and real life to be successful. Only having technological skills with no communication skill or vice-versa is no longer enough to live a successful life.