To see the negatice effect of software patents, see the latest example in Japan, where Matsushita (Panasonic, Technics) has managed to get all sales of the only MS Word competitor Ichitaro by Justsystem prohibited and all existing copies ordered to be destroyed. Heise Link (German)
I predict that we will a lot more software patent courtcases as the original companies who registered the patent go bankrupt. As their remaining property is being sold, software patents will be bought by new companies specializing of squeezing the most out of everybody else. Companies that cannot be blackmailed using counter-lawsuits because they themselves are not in the IT business. Lawyers, basically.
Like that case of the patent on some 3D grafic thing that got bought by lawyers who then sued all grafic card producing companies:
Texas-based law firm McKool Smith has sued 12 major game publishers and is threatening legal action against several smaller companies as well. Electronic Arts, Take-Two Interactive, Ubisoft, Activision, Atari, THQ, Vivendi Universal Games, Sega, Square Enix, Tecmo, LucasArts, and Namco Hometek are all named as defendants in the case. Game Daily Biz
At the same time the situation in Europe is confusing. On the one hand, the “Rechtsausschuss” has suggest to restart the process. At the same time there’s yet another opportunity to accept software patents (eventhough that would probably mean ignoring the European parliament). Until now Poland has been defending our position against software patents in Europe. But it seems that international pressure is about to shut Poland up. Damn. Heise Link (German)
#Patents