Toolkit

Story: Protests derail software patents vote

• 
• 

The position of the left is generally, as I understand it, to promote better conditions for the populace, including the poor, while business-oriented interests promote better conditions for business, which are presented as being incidentally beneficial for the rest of society. Patents are in the interest of the business elite because they more firmly lock into place the priveleges of large, successful businesses while preventing competition from smaller companies and the poorer countries. In this case, many large businesses in Europe (such as Bull) oppose the patents directive partly, no doubt, because it would make competition with the dominant US-based IT companies more difficult.

However, it is important to note that in the case of software, even many of the dominant US IT companies are now arguing that patents make business more difficult, and really only benefit patent lawyers. Businesses and developers who are pro-patent generally argue that software patents should be allowed only in particular circumstances, and should, perhaps, exempt open-source software.

• 
• 

• 
• 
• 

Full Talkback thread