2004-07-02 UK Matt Whipp of PC Pro: Software Patents -- Divide and Rule
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Reports how patents in the US are creating trouble for free/opensource software.
Redhat & !SuSE are filing patents for self-defensive purposes while saying publicly that they oppose this game
- "Japan's Turbo Linux has already licensed Microsoft Windows Media Technology"
- EFF Lawyer Jason Schultz is in favor of software patentability:
- Jason Schultz, staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which works to protect human rights and liberties online, told us he too thought software patents aren't entirely without merit. 'While I'm skeptical that patents are truly necessary to promote progress in the software field, they do have some utility. For instance, patents are often a good source for documenting the history of innovation in a field or to help teach others how to perform a particular technique. Again, as long as the patent owners aren't using them to hinder competition or exploit others, I'm not yet ready to banish them completely.'
