Patently Absurd

5 Aug 2011

I’ve borrowed the title from John Gruber, who has covered the recent absurd statements from Google, claiming that Apple, Microsoft and others are attacking Android with their patents. Paul Thurott joins the critics.

Jason Kottke then linked to an excellent episode of This American Life on the state of patents in the US:

In polls, as many as 80 percent of software engineers say the patent system actually hinders innovation. In other words, it does exactly the opposite of what it’s supposed to do. It doesn’t encourage them to come up with new ideas and create new products, it actually gets in their way.

How anyone can believe software patents in Europe is a good idea is beyond me.