• TheGalacticVoid@lemm.ee
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    7 months ago

    “slide left to unlock” is just stupid, as it’s a fundamental concept

    Without arguing the benefits/drawbacks of software patents, isn’t slide to unlock only a fundamental concept because Apple invented and popularized it? To me, it only seems trivial because it’s ubiquitous, whereas that might not have been the case before the iPhone.

    Compression algorithms being patentable is even more stupid, as it would be like somebody claiming they own Pi

    I don’t see why this is unique to software. As long as the proof is convoluted enough, how would it differ from making a physical D-pad? Both are made from already discovered axioms/materials, and both are transformed via known ways in a unique order into new tools to accomplish a particular task. If a D-pad patent should be allowed, why not a compression algorithm?