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The patent office has largely stopped granting software patents, from what I've gathered, or they're at least being more careful. So we're just waiting for the existing ones to expire.

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As someone who files patents (and then gives away royalty-free licenses to them), this has not been my experience.

Fwiw, USPTO, EPO, WIPO, and probably OAPI and ARIPO (not sure about these two), and whoever else, grant patents for software. Outside USA the rules are stricter; and business methods usually aren't allowed.

The EPC ("European" patents) allows software patents with a 'technical effect'.

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