Wednesday, 23 May 2007

Red Hat CEO Decries Software Patents

Red Hat Chief Executive Matthew Szulik is of the opinion that software patents are retarding the speed of innovation. "In the last 30 years, we've continued to see patents really being a challenge to innovation. The industry moves much faster than a remedy process," Szulik said...

Red Hat Chief Executive Matthew Szulik is of the opinion that software patents are retarding the speed of innovation.

"In the last 30 years, we've continued to see patents really being a challenge to innovation. The industry moves much faster than a remedy process," Szulik said. "There is very little empirical evidence that builds a correlation between patents and innovation."

Szulik does not want the patent process to be abolished. However, he wants a reformation in the entire process.

Red Hat is one of the several open-source companies that Microsoft has spayed its patent infringing allegations against.

Szulik said, "I've had discussions with most luminaries of the open-source industry. They have always been respectful of intellectual property, of originality and invention," Szulik said.

"No responsible vendor wants to violate patents or infringe. Any access that would allow workarounds to take place, so the respect for the innovation is maintained, is a good thing," he said.

Szulik said, "When the idea is original, there's no doubt it has value to developers and the organization behind them."