UK Lobbyists Claim UK Software Industry In Trouble Because It Doesn't Have Software Patents

from the say-what-now? dept

techflaws.org points us to the news that the SME Innovation Alliance, a lobbying group that supposedly represents small tech firms, is complaining that the UK needs software patents, and saying that its software industry is suffering without them. That strikes me as pretty funny, because just recently I've been hearing from a bunch of fairly innovative UK-based startups, who seem to be doing just fine.

"We need to recognise that software is a material — you can make inventions from that material," [John] Mitchell [chairman of the SME Innovation Alliance], said at the event, held to discuss the recent Hargreaves report into intellectual property law. "It's like wood, it's like paper, so why have some artificial limitation?"

Um, because a patent is the artificial limitation -- it's the artificial limitation on everyone else. Furthermore, software is nothing like wood or paper, and it's downright scary that someone who runs a group called the "Innovation Alliance" thinks that one is like the other. Finally, software is already protected by intellectual property law, it's just that it's copyright. Why would he pretend that's not the case?

"If you don't have a patent system to protect your software industry, you're not going to have a software industry. How much more evidence do you need?" he asked.

Um, a lot, because the UK does have a software industry. Apparently Mitchell just doesn't know where to look. Furthermore, plenty of countries that don't recognize software patents have a software industry. Why would he argue otherwise? Either way, I would think this seems like good evidence for why innovative companies should not want to be a part of the SME Innovation Alliance, as the organization's views seem woefully out of touch on actual innovation.

Filed Under: patents, software, software industry, software patents, uk