[Freegis-list] Fwd: Potential GIS software patent issue

[Brent Wood]

A New Zealand software company (Compudigm International Ltd) is trying to
patent technologies core to the functioning of much GIS software.

See this link for background.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/print.cfm?objectid=3576578


A consortium of New Zeland companies (including GIS vendors and users) was
established to contest the application.

See this for more technical information about the patent application.
http://www.gisuser.co.nz/pages/download/getfile.asp?ID=111&filename=/Compudigm%92s%20patent%20application;%20opposition%20documents.zip

My grapevine tells me that the companies contesting the application have
received an offer from the CIL legal team to provide a legal protection from
the patent to these companies if they will stop contesting the patent.
 
I understand that some of the contesting companies have had legal advice
suggesting they accept the offer.
 
 
If granted, I believe it becomes possible that most Open Source statistical
and GIS packages could not be used in New Zealand without paying appropriate
royalties to CIL.

(I know this seems ridiculous, but have a look at patent law in New Zealand
before dismissing it out of hand. The NZ ESRI agent and others joined the
cosortium to contest the patent, and are providing funding, so they are
taking this as a very real threat) 
 
The NZOSS is currently more concerned about the Microsoft XML patent, and
does not really have any resources to help with the CIL one as well.
 
Is anyone in the FreeGIS community able to help or suggest ways to help
ensure this patent is NOT granted, or that all those contesting it are not
cheaply bought off?

 
Brent Wood