Tim Kossack writes: > i thought that patents can be enforced everywhere in the (western) world Yes, I'm sure. > i'm also quite sure that fraunhofer has filed patents for mp3 > wherever possible (just my guess), I can imagine. My point was that a thing like the MP3 algorithm might not be PATENTABLE very widely. There are differences on what kind of things have been considered appropriate for patents in various regions. And the US have used patents more broadly than most other parts of the world. Software algorithms is one example which have not been seen patentable in most places, but is in the US (and under debate in EU). I believe "business models" is something else which is not patentable in most contries, but is in the US. Contracts is something else which could conceivably be patentable, but is not not even in the US, AFAIK. I believe there is no patent for MP3 in France. But I'm not an expert, just trying to read and understand what some experts say. I might be wrong, and I might not be up to date. FFII (http://ffii.org/) is a place where you could learn more, and from more authorative sources than me.
