[OT] Free software versus software idea patents

[Chris Angelico]

On Fri, Apr 8, 2011 at 2:33 AM, harrismh777 <harrismh777 at charter.net> wrote:
>    Therein lies *the* problem. The point that gets missed over and over is
> that there CAN BE NO PATENT COVERING MATHEMATICS ...  period.
>
>    Yes, C# and .NET are covered by hundreds of software patents. Its an
> insane mess... which must be eliminated at all costs.
>
>    All software can be expressed as lambda calculus. The point being, all
> software is mathematics...

With enough software, you can simulate anything. That means that the
entire universe can be expressed as lambda calculus. Does that mean
that nothing can ever be patented, because it's all just mathematics?

At what point is there valid, patentable creativity to be found in
combining known elements in previously unknown ways?

Chris Angelico