Iata ce spunea acum cativa ani Bill Gates despre patente, angajatilor Microsoft in 1991, intr-o vreme cand erau doar unul din pestisorii mici si sperau sa devina mari:
“If people had understood how patents would be granted when most of today’s ideas were invented and had taken out patents, the industry would be at a complete standstill today…A future start-up with no patents of its own will be forced to pay whatever price the giants choose to impose.”
Azi, cand Microsoft are o pozitie de monopol, iata ce declara reprezentantii companiei despre acelasi subiect:
“Protection for software patents and other intellectual property is essential to maintaining the incentives that encourage and underwrite technological breakthroughs. In every industry, patents provide the legal foundation for innovation. The ensuing legal disputes may be messy, but protection is no less necessary, even so.”