PT91.S4.Q27 (P4) - copycat computer programs

ban3rc

How is A correct? Can someone provide textual support.

Admin Note: Edited title. Please use the format: "PT#.S#.Q# - brief description of the question"

LawyeringForLife-1

This one hinges on distilling the meaning of 2 separate concepts:

2nd paragraph middle+end - to patent an algorithm it has to represent the design of a process that is specific - not a general law of nature i.e. it is a specific iteration of a broad principle, not the rule itself.

3rd paragraph middle - copyright applies only in regard to a specific expression of principles i.e. again a specific iteration, no the rule itself

So:
patent - cannot be a broad, generic principle
copyright - has to be a specific iteration of a principle

Scientific principles are by nature broad and generic, so they would be too broad to patent or copyright.

More detail paraphrase of the text:
End of 2nd paragraph - algorithms representing generic principles don't qualify for patent protection. Encoding of an algorithm is like designing a process, so it can be patented, unless it represents a law of nature or a logical axiom i.e. it has to be unique and narrow and not the broad, general rule.

middle of 3rd paragraph - "copyright protects only the particular way in which the underlying ideas (principles/algorithms) are expressed" + earlier programs are specific expressions of ideas (algorithms), so copyright applies better - so only the specific application of the broad principle.