Scientists protest EU software patents (ZDNet)
ZDNet reports that
a group of high-ranking scientists are petitioning the European Parliament
to prevent the patenting of algorithms and software ideas. "
The fate of the proposed patent plan could have a dramatic effect on the way software is developed in the EU, with many developers and small businesses fearing a U.S.-style system in which large companies with thousands of software-related patents are able to force smaller competitors to pay for intellectual property licenses."