Twenty-four years ago, I wrote my first software patent application, "Debugging Parallel Programs by Serialization." A little more than two years after filing the application, the patent issued with claims that lacked mention of any structural component of a computer. In fact, the closest the first claim came to a tangible result was the step of "displaying information." The software patent attracted little attention during its lifespan and expired unnoticed.
My, how things have changed. Today, everything about software patents is different than when I filed that application in 1989. In fact, the issues surrounding software patents have significantly fueled allegations that the U.S. patent system is "broken." Why has the world of software patents become such a huge mess? The problem is multifaceted.
