[Fsfe-uk] Software patent

[Ian Lynch]

>From Phil Driscoll at SF-UK

Apologies to members who already know about this from Moodle forums:
http://www.blackboard.com/patent/patentpress.htm

Patent is here:
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=6,988,138.PN.&OS=PN/6,988,138&RS=PN/6,988,138

Summary - Blackboard have obtained a broad patent on many of the aspects
of an  online learning system. The patent has been granted in the US,
Australia and  New Zealand, and its status is 'applied for' in Europe
and many other places. 
I can't spot anything in the patent which would pass any sensible test
for 'non-obviousness', and I'm sure that there is a wealth of prior art.



Is there anything that can be done to make sure this doesn't get through
in EU?

Ian
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