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Presents the author's views on the issues related to the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). Opinion concerning what an appropriate relationship between the ACM and the computer industry should be; View that ACM must continue to be involved in cooperative ventures with the computer industry so long as these are beneficial to ACM's primary scientific-technical-educational purpose; Discussion over a recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court concerning the patentability of computer programs.

This article analyzes the pros and cons of patenting computer programs in the U.S. A proposed set of guidelines that would aid patent examiners in reviewing applications for computer program patents has raised opposition in Washington D.C. The consensus in the patent office is that the guidelines are inadequate. The House Judiciary Committee plans to hold hearings this year on an entire revamping of the patent laws in the U.S. Bell Laboratories is supporting the program patents, but most manufacturers remain solidly against patenting programs. Some software firms would like to receive program patents; however, the resistance shown by the Patent Office to patent computer programs is currently blocking the way.

Information about several panel discussions held at the International Federation for Information Processing Congress 65 held at Paris Hilton Hotel in New York City in 1965 is presented. At the panels "Legal Aspects of Software," and "Content Addressable Memories," use of patent law in protecting ownership of computer programs and organizational features of associative memories respectively were discussed. "Economics of Programming" panel discussed strategies for managing programming costs.