Much of the world's most important and most commercially significant
software is distributed under copyright licensing terms that give
recipients freedom to copy, modify and redistribute the software. One
could not send or receive e-mail, surf the World Wide Web, perform a
Google search or take advantage of many of the other benefits offered
by the Internet without free software. Indeed, this brief was written
entirely with free software word processors, namely GNU Emacs and
LaTeX, each of which are not just competitive with or superior to
non-free software programs, but which also provide their users with
the freedom to improve the program to fit their needs and reflect
their desires.

The Software Freedom Law Center ("SFLC") is a not-for-profit legal
services organization that provides legal representation and other
law-related services to protect and advance free software. SFLC provides
pro bono legal services to non-profit free software developers and also
helps the general public better understand the legal aspects of free
software. SFLC has an interest in this matter because the decision of
this Court will have a significant effect on the rights of the free
software developers and users SFLC represents. More specifically, SFLC
has an interest in ensuring that limits are maintained on the reach of
patent law so that free software development is not
unreasonably and unnecessarily impeded.