Martin Goetz, holder of the first US software patent, died on October 10 at 93; Goetz was awarded a patent for data-sorting software for mainframes in 1968 (Richard Sandomir/New York Times)

Richard Sandomir / New York Times:

Martin Goetz, holder of the first US software patent, died on October 10 at 93; Goetz was awarded a patent for data-sorting software for mainframes in 1968  —  “I knew at some point in time the patent office would recognize” computer software, he said.  It happened in 1968, helping to ignite the software market.