We have achieved our aim. Commerce Minister Craig Foss' SOP237 - announced on 9 May 2013 - demonstrates the government's commitment to ending software patents in NZ. The co-signers of this petition are gratified by the government's willingness to work with the software industry to reach this stage - finally we can look forward to the new and much needed Patents Bill, the first update since 1953.
The amendment to the Patents Bill was covered well by the NZ Herald and ComputerWorld NZ among others, but the most comprehensive assessment of the change was provided by Guy Burgess published on the IITP website. He points out that despite this victory for the software industry, we have to remain vigilant, as many so-called IP lawyers will be endeavouring to test the boundaries of this exclusion over the coming years.
Perhaps our government's bold legislative move, receiving very positive coverage overseas, will even inspire the burgeoning movements against software patents in other countries, including the US, to redouble their efforts. Now they have evidence that reasoned arguments by sensible people demonstrating the harm done by software patents can prevail.