4 ms·

We will need ... software patents!

• ndsipa_pomu 8mo ago
  No, lawyers will want software patents as that's the only group that would benefit from them, apart from large litigation-happy companies that want to squash any competition.
  • galaxyLogic 8mo ago
    Not sure I can follow your reasoning. Wouldn't the developer of the software who got a patent for an invention embodied in the software she developed benefit as well?
    • ndsipa_pomu 8mo ago
      Not if the developer is employed at the time as contracts will usually mean that the company owns the patents, even if the developer was working on their own time. The bigger issue is patent abuse - file or buy a few poorly specified patents and then use them along with litigation to shut down competitors. This generally leads to bolstering the bigger companies at the expense of smaller companies due to the costs of litigation. Basically, software patents can turn developing software into a minefield. It can end up that only people with access to legal departments will be able to sell software.