How We Feel About Software Patents

In the classic movie "Fiddler on the Roof," the main character, Tevye, talks with a communist philosopher who says of the rich: "Someday their wealth will be ours." Tevye's response reflects our position on software patents: "That would be nice. If they would agree, I would agree."

Walking onto the playing field of modern software development, it was obvious that the other teams had already donned helmets and pads. Some vocal fans screamed to get rid of the pads for the good of the game, but with no support from the refs. Though we can sympathize with the fans, prudence demands that we keep our pads on until the other teams remove theirs.

Still, at Priacta we have no intention of wielding patents as weapons against the spectators, nor do we intend to push through patents on obvious technology by attempting to confuse the folks at the USPTO. Where we file patents, we believe they represent truly new inventions—major steps forward—just like like a new engine design that gets twice the gas mileage. We also look for ways to support the Open Source community without taking hits from the other teams on the field.