Awad,

You are asking two completely different questions and one of them has more than one way to be interpreted. I will try to answer both from my experience.

1) Is it good to get a patent on an image processing method?

There are two ways to look at this question: one philosophical and one pragmatic. On the philosophical side the answer depends on your views for and against patents as a method of disclosing new ways to generate invention and providing rights to the inventor. On the pragmatic side which based on your title question will depend on the novelty of the method and process, its inherent value to the potential buyer and your expectations on getting some value out of it.

2)Where is the best place to patent an application?

a) It is highly encouraged if your end product is targeted towards high income countries( See: Sattar, A., & Mahmood, T. (2011). INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS AND ECONOMIC GROWTH: EVIDENCES FROM HIGH, MIDDLE AND LOW INCOME COUNTRIES. Pakistan Economic and Social Review, 49(2), 163-186.)

b) if you are targeting high income countries then you should then carry out a market research to see if it is cost effective based on size of market to patent in one or more countries

c) The other reason for getting a patent is "Start-ups with at least one successful patent application prior to first-round VC investment have significantly higher success probability, making patents credible signals to venture capitalists." (Cao, J. X., & Hsu, P. H. (2011). The informational role of patents in venture capital Financing. Available at SSRN 1678809).

Hope this helps

It is quite difficult to get software patented in Europe unless it is part of a machine, a process, or something else.

The European Patent Convention (EPC), Article 52, paragraph 2, excludes from patentability, in particular:

...

schemes, rules and methods for performing mental acts, playing games or doing business, and programs for computers

I would therefore exclude Europe in the first instance.

Thank you Arturo and Francesco for your answers I guess I know now that it is very difficult to patent just a software. It is only possible to get a copyright for any software application.