[Patents] DTI wades into software patent debate

[Stefane Fermigier sf@fermigier.com]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/15016.html

The Department of Trade and Industry and an American law professor have jumped
into the European software patent punch-up. 

[...]

Professor Richard Stern of George Washington University Law School reckons 
that
even if Europe decides not to go with software patenting, the effect of it in
the US will damage European Web business. If it does go with it, all hell will
break lose. He uses the Napster, One-Click and MP3 cases as examples of how 
the
Internet will clash head-on with existing patent laws. 

The logic behind this depressing scenario is fairly clear: smaller companies
will be unable to compete under prohibitive licenses, multi-nationals will
waste billions of pounds fighting pointless legal battles.  According to 
Stern,
the Internet could falter and fall over as a result.

        S.

-- 
Stéfane Fermigier, Tel: 06 63 04 12 77 (mobile).
<www.portalux.com>: le portail Linux / logiciel libre.
"Amazon: we patent the dot in .com"