Computer Programs will not be Patentable.

When the original draft of the Patent Bill was released there were no exceptions for computer software. Naturally the NZOSS weighed in and submitted it's point of view. Today our position has been vindicated by the release by the Commerce Commission report supporting an exception for computer programs in the Patent Bill. The New Zealand Open Source Society applauds the Commerce Commission on it's decision to exclude computer programs from being patentable in New Zealand.

Computerworld New Zealand is running a story, "Thumbs down for software patents in NZ" which quotes Don Christie as saying "New Zealand MPs of all parties are to be congratulated on recognising what to many, for many years, has been patently obvious. There are some members of that committee that paid particular attention to the detail of the debate; there were also lots of submissions made by patent lawyers in favour of patents. These MPs weighed up the arguments and came down against software patents. This is ground-breaking and visionary. I congratulate our law makers today."

Mr Christie also took the time to congratulate all those who took the time and effort to write submissions and who took the unique step of coming to Wellington and backing up those submissions orally.