Comments on: Linus Torvalds against EU patent directive

By: Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs — Wed, 24 Nov 2004 21:58:01 +0000

Linus plays pocket-pool with Bill Gates on the weekends.

By: Kris Carlson's Weblog

Kris Carlson's Weblog — Wed, 24 Nov 2004 20:15:10 +0000

Torvalds against EU softwae patents
In an article posted at Google News today titled Linus Torvalds against EU patent directive, Linus Torvalds (creator of the Linux kernel and former student of Tannenbaum) along with some other folks from the open source community have issued a

By: Paul Vinson

Paul Vinson — Wed, 24 Nov 2004 20:03:07 +0000

Patents on ideas are the bilge of modern society. But like the local laws that require someone to be killed in order to install that stoplight at a dangerous intersection, we will undoubtedly see much worse with patent law before it gets better.

By: John Costa

John Costa — Wed, 24 Nov 2004 19:53:56 +0000

Absolutely correct. You can only impose patent on tangible things. It will definitely impact on creating thinking if restricted.

By: Adam Bosworth

Adam Bosworth — Wed, 24 Nov 2004 19:52:46 +0000

Linus is completely correct. The abuse of common sense that goes on in software in the name of patent protection is appalling and I speak as the reluctant holder of several. Software, as much as anything, stands on the shoulders of giants. Any patent protection in software should be limited to something like 1000 a year to force some sort of quality bar and limited to 3 years to reflect the dynamic pace of software.

By: Ryan Cole

Ryan Cole — Wed, 24 Nov 2004 19:19:24 +0000

Patents in this day and age seem to do more to hinder innovation than excite it. Patends should only be issued for profound discoveries. There are too many patents that are issued for trivial no-brainers like the GIF image compression (counting colored dots), hyperlink text (a button without a border), single click buying (storing some buying preferences). Patents today, especially software patents, rarely spur innovation, they do more to prevent it by limiting peoples freedom to create and curtailing industry standardization on the most effecient processes.

By: Wilfred Biglan

Wilfred Biglan — Wed, 24 Nov 2004 18:17:55 +0000

Yes, Linus Torvalds is 100% correct! If I were to patent all the ideas I have had in the 50 years of working life which I have enjoyed, I would single handedly be able to hold the world to ransom. Is this the circumstance this proposal would lead us toward? I sincerely hope not!!

By: Tony Mountjoy

Tony Mountjoy — Wed, 24 Nov 2004 18:02:39 +0000

Linus is 100% correct. If an idea can be patented, then it locks down the creative incentive of our most promising innovators. Its contrary to free thought.