[xroche]

> As far as I know, it's clearly stated that software is not applicable to patent

This is the beauty of intellectual property experts: they can reverse a very root concept, by changing few commas, and over-interpreting.

TL;DR: Software patents are forbidden (especially in Europe) "as such". It means that if you attempt to patent the "linked list" in software programming, this will be refused. But you can patent a "method of linking a set of abstract data together, using a numerical identifier as gathering medium". This is not rephrasing: what you are attempting to patent is NOT software - you can have a set of paper sheets, with a number on top of them, and form a linked set of data (printer documents). You could ALSO have a linked list in a computer program. But what you are attempting to patent is a more general concept, that CAN be represented as a piece of software. Of course, what you REALLY want to patent is the later.

Yes, yes, this is fraud. Legal fraud. Move along, nothing to see.