Regretfully I have to differ with you. I will begin with
Microsoft as they
announced
their position via the BSA which
they control, in partnership with other
patent trolls such
as Oracle, in a document designed to muddle the thinking on
software patents.
Patents play an important role in driving
software innovation, which is to the benefit of the whole
economy. ...software
is used to solve complex design
challenges involved in every minute detail of
common
products we take for granted in our lives. ...enormous
investments in
research and development [] are required to
create those kinds of software
tools. For small, startup
companies with breakthrough software solutions,
patents
demonstrate to investors that what they have in front of
them is
legitimately novel technology with real growth
potential. America’s patent
system is the best in the world,
bar none. [The] patent system ... promote[s]
exactly the
sort of innovation that is exploding in the software sector
to the
benefit of the broader economy.
All horse manure and
bovine excrement, to put it
politely.
Now as far as Apple goes, I have
no knowledge of any
corporate platform on the subject, but we see by their
actions that they vigorously pursue patents and aggressively
employ them
against their competitors. I think that is a
clear statement on their position
in itself.
Google has been a disappointment to me in this respect.
Though Google employees have come out strongly at times
against software
patents - it was never clear that they
speak for the company. Indeed I have
seen Google the
corporation remain mute where there have been opportunities
to
speak out against software patents in general. I have
hypothesized that they
cannot make sweeping statements
denouncing software patents while at the same
time defending
themselves from trolls via pressing the attack with their
own
software patents. I hope my perception is wrong. [ Reply to This | Parent | # ]
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