In New Zealand, software will be unpatentable:
Despite what appears to be a big-budget lobbying effort by the pro-patent fraternity, Hon Simon Power announced today that he wouldn’t be modifying the proposed Patents Bill hence software will be unpatentable once the Bill passes into law.
This is the best thing to have happened in the world of intellectual property (I.P) for a long time (except this, maybe). It might be a bitter pill for corporations dependent on patent royalties to swallow, but at least we can be sure there will be no patent trolls in New Zealand (this one?).
I have never really got a hang of the patents system, and it appears, neither do a lot of others. Why does the patents office grant patents on obvious things – a page turn, for Godsake?
Granted, much of the public sees patents as complete evil, when in reality, there might be reasons to have it. I am as ignorant about those reasons as you are. But even software companies (quite a few) raise voices against patents. If it ain’t so broke, that wouldn’t happen, now would it?
If someone has pro-patent arguments, by all means educate me. What are your thoughts on patents, patent lawsuits and trolls? Are patents indispensable for rights holders to survive, or do they only stifle innovation and feed the greedy?
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