Gates "threatens" Denmark
Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2005 8:48 am
If you haven't been following the EU patent discussion, big software businesses including MS and IBM have been pushing hard to get the EU to allow patents on software. It's the belief of the open-source community that such patents tend to stifle innovation and lead to patent lawsuit wars like SCO v IBM that most hurt the little guy and most benefit the lawyers.
Anyway, Bill Gates recently traveled to Europe to influence some of the decision-makers involved. Following is copied from Groklaw and translated from the Danish equivalent of the Wall St. Journal:
Anyway, Bill Gates recently traveled to Europe to influence some of the decision-makers involved. Following is copied from Groklaw and translated from the Danish equivalent of the Wall St. Journal:
BTW, whether or not software is covered by patents, it's covered by copyright laws. And if it's closely-held code, it can be covered by trade-secret laws, too. Patents just open up a whole new door.The founder of the world's largest software company, Bill Gates, is now ready to shut down Navision in Denmark and move around 800 developers behind Denmark's biggest software success to the US.
The Microsoft leader made that clear, when he meet with Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Economic and Business Minister Bendt Bendtsen and Science Minister Helge Sander in November.
The threat risks being executed, if part of the IT business manages to block the disputed EU directive on patenting software, that Microsoft wants so dearly, but time and time again has been postponed thanks to efficient lobbying by anti-patent opposition.
"If I am to keep my development center in Denmark, I must have clearity on the rights issue. Otherwise I will move to the US, where I can protect my rights," said Gates according to to Microsoft chief attorney Marianne Wier, who also attended the meeting with Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
