computer programme

"If you could write a computer programme that could solve the problem really fast, you could adapt it to solve many of the most important problems that affect us all daily," said Professor Ian Gent.

According to the Wilkes Partnership, the case is being watched with interest because before now it was rarely possible to patent dedicated computer programmes in Europe, albeit that copyright protection was normally available.

And Hughes reckons ProZone,a video and computer programme which helps analyse players' performances,is playing a big part in their resurgence.

The debate also focused on the scope of the claims (scope of the invention that may be claimed): this refers to article 5, which states that an invention may be claimed either as a "product", that is, as a computer programme, a programmed computer network or programmed equipment, or as a procedure implemented by such equipment.

The Ministry of Education's Curriculum Development Division deputy director Datin Ng Soo Boon was quoted by The Star as saying pupils will be taught algorithms on how to develop both simple and more complicated computer programmes.