Judge Richard Posner: ‘It’s Not Clear That We Really Need Patents in Most Industries’

Reuters:

The U.S. judge who tossed out one of the biggest court cases in Apple Inc.’s smartphone technology battle is questioning whether patents should cover software or most other industries at all.

Richard Posner, a prolific jurist who sits on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago, told Reuters this week that the technology industry’s high profits and volatility made patent litigation attractive for companies looking to wound competitors.

Exactly right. Posner has some good observations on the U.S. political climate, too.

★ Friday, 6 July 2012