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Story: Linus Torvalds speaks out against EU patent law

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Torvalds is right.

I hope Europe doesn't make the same mistake that the U.S. has made. Software patents in th U.S. have created a situation in which programmers cannot risk writing code unless they are in the employ and under the protection of large corporations.

Software patents stifle innovation and protect monopolies. To avoid being out-innovated and risk technological irrelevance, U.S. comanies are hoping the Europeans along with the rest of the world adopt the same form of restrictive software patents. If the EC establishes software patents they will be be putting themselves at a disadvantage when it comes to competing with American companies. The Asians will never fall into the trap that is software patents and as a result will become the IT innovation leaders of the World.

I hope the Europeans are smarter than this.

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