http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10882569

"The Government has announced a change to planned new patent rules today which has put an end to fears that computer software might be covered by new patent protection.

Industry sources have welcomed the decision and the Labour Party has called it "a humiliating back down".

Commerce Minister Craig Foss has released a supplementary order paper to clarify issues around the patentability of computer programmes in the Patents Bill.

"These changes ensure the Bill is consistent with the intention of the Commerce Select Committee recommendation that computer programs should not be patentable," Foss said."

Bugger off Apple, Microsoft, Google, Samsung and anyone else wanting to shut people out, or charge them licencing fees, through the patent system.

And bugger off small time dickheads who try to hit up big corporations with stupid patent lawsuits trying to extort money through out of court settlements.

Coyright laws do apply to software, and that's the right mechanism for dealing with software.

This still might mean that, for example, One Click Shopping on Amazon is still patentable. It's that threat that's the worst, not the the obvious "X... but with a computer" that this addresses.

There needs to be a serious discussion about what is novel and what deserves to be protected (since patenting is an artificial granted monopoly to encourage invention in exchange for an open description, not a natural right).

Aye, especially with all the Monsanto shit going on in America lately.

should be one step into the right direction to protect and free society from patent parasites

hope they will do somthing similar with animal and crop gene patents to get rid off du ponte,monsanto ,bayer etc

America Inc.

This country has been getting out of hands. Money in the hands of politicians is a dangerous thing.

What will Apple do now?

Is one click shopping a software application? If it's not dependant on a particular piece of hardware then it can't be patented here. Like pinch to zoom, if that can be implemented through software on any touch screen then you can't patent pinch to zoom here. You have to prove breach of copyright if you want to take legal action over software. Basically like you'd have to prove plagiarism for someone writing a book that is far too similar to your own work, and not merely "a stroy about elves, men, dwarves and orcs"