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(Essays and articles by VCs: ** [http://www.avc.com/a_vc/2010/02/more-patent-nonsense.html More Patent Nonsense])
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The following are entrepreneurs, investors, and venture capitalists.
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This list is just the ''vocal'' venture capitalists against [[software patents]].
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==Brad Feld==
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* [[Brad Feld on software patents]]
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* [http://www.feld.com/wp/archives/2006/04/abolish-software-patents.html Abolish Software Patents]
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<blockquote>
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''[...] patents on software are a massive tax on and retardant of innovation in the US.''<ref>http://www.feld.com/wp/archives/2010/06/mailing-out-patent-absurdity.html</ref>
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</blockquote>
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==Art Reisman==
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* [http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,2223304,00.asp Analysis: Confessions of a Patent Holder]:
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<blockquote>
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''Patents should never be awarded to: 1) ideas; 2) processes, recipes, software programs.''
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</blockquote>
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==Todd Vernon==
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* [http://falseprecision.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/02/my-dumb-softwar.html My Dumb Software Patents]:
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<blockquote>
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Many think that Software Patents are stupid. I conceptually agree with this statement. Having spent what seems like millions of hours constructing these, baby sitting them, defending them; it is really all wasted time and effort, at least in a conceptual sense. There is no way for a software engineer or system architect to have any idea what exists out there to either copy or avoid (whatever the motivation).
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</blockquote>
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==Laura Creighton==
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* [http://old.vrijschrift.org/swpat/030508_1/ e-Patents and financial investing]:
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<blockquote>
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Software Patents have not protected the Small inventor from the Big Company -- instead they have made legal expertise an additional barrier to entry into the software business. And they scare investors like me out of investing in software businesses. In the United States there are plenty of companies whose fervent desire is to become successful enough to make their founders comfortable -- and no more successful. They are trying very hard to remain 'too small to be worth suing'. This does not benefit Society either.
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</blockquote>
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==Fred Wilson==
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* [http://www.avc.com/a_vc/2009/02/how-patent-trolls-are-a-tax-on-innovation.html How Patent Trolls Are A Tax On Innovation]
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** [http://www.avc.com/a_vc/2009/02/why-patent-trolls-are-a-tax-on-innovation-continued.html Why Patent Trolls Are A Tax On Innovation (continued)]
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** [http://www.avc.com/a_vc/2010/02/more-patent-nonsense.html More Patent Nonsense]
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** [http://www.avc.com/a_vc/2010/02/permissionless-innovation-and-patents.html Permissionless Innovation and Patents]
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** [http://www.avc.com/a_vc/2011/06/enough-is-enough.html Enough Is Enough], 1 June 2011
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** [http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110607/18502014596/investors-speaking-up-about-patents-harming-innovation.shtml Investors Speaking Up About Patents Harming Innovation], 7 June 2011, '''Techdirt''' - mentions and quotes Fred Wilson
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==Brad Burnham==
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* [http://www.unionsquareventures.com/2010/02/software-patents-are-the-problem-not-the-answer.php Software patents are the problem not the answer]
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** [http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20100222/1258548257.shtml Techdirt.com discusses Burnham's essay]
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==Jason Mendelson==
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* [http://www.jasonmendelson.com/wp/archives/2009/08/the-end-of-software-patents.php The End of Software Patents?], August 31<sup>st</sup>, 2009
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* [http://www.jasonmendelson.com/wp/archives/2010/05/76-of-venture-capitalists-believe-that-patents-are-important-not.php 76% of Venture Capitalists Believe that Software Patents are Important (NOT!)], May 6<sup>th</sup>, 2010
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==Chris Sacca==
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<blockquote>
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[T]he average Silicon Valley start-up or even medium sized company, no matter how truly innovative they are, I have no doubt that aspects of what they're doing violate patents right now. And that's what's fundamentally broken about this system right now.<ref>http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2011/07/26/138576167/when-patents-attack</ref>
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</blockquote>
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==Related pages on {{SITENAME}}==
 
==Related pages on {{SITENAME}}==
 
* [[Brad Feld on software patents]]
 
* [[Brad Feld on software patents]]
 
* [[Which sectors are for and against]]
 
* [[Which sectors are for and against]]
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* [[2008 Berkeley Patent Survey]]
 
* [[Statements and quotes]]
 
* [[Statements and quotes]]
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** example: [[Statements from managers and analysts]]
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
===Essays and articles by VCs===
 
 
* [http://www.feld.com/wp/archives/2006/04/abolish-software-patents.html Abolish Software Patents], by [[Brad Feld]]
 
* [http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,2223304,00.asp Analysis: Confessions of a Patent Holder], by Art Reisman
 
* [http://falseprecision.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/02/my-dumb-softwar.html My Dumb Software Patents], by Todd Vernon
 
* [http://old.vrijschrift.org/swpat/030508_1/ e-Patents and financial investing], by Laura Creighton
 
* [http://www.avc.com/a_vc/2009/02/how-patent-trolls-are-a-tax-on-innovation.html How Patent Trolls Are A Tax On Innovation], by Fred Wilson
 
** [http://www.avc.com/a_vc/2010/02/more-patent-nonsense.html More Patent Nonsense]
 
* [http://www.unionsquareventures.com/2010/02/software-patents-are-the-problem-not-the-answer.php Software patents are the problem not the answer], by Brad Burnham
 
** [http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20100222/1258548257.shtml Techdirt.com discusses Burnham's essay]
 
  
===Short statements by VCs===
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* [http://kwiki.ffii.org/SwpatvlectaEn Software Patents: the Investor's and Venture Capitalist's perspective], by [[FFII]]
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* [http://web.archive.org/web/20051106143802/http://www.mysql.com/company/legal/patent_declaration.html Declaration By Venture Investors and Venture-Funded Companies on Software Patents]
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* [http://www.mysql.com/news-and-events/generate-article.php?id=908 A PR mentioning that the NoSoftwarePatents campaign is supported by Benchmark Capital and Danny Rimer, a partner at Index Ventures]
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* [http://www.amazon.com/Shamans-Software-Spleens-Construction-Information/dp/0674805232] Good read on the very same issues.
  
* [http://www.jasonmendelson.com/wp/archives/2009/08/the-end-of-software-patents.php The End of Software Patents?], by Jason Mendelson
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==References==
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{{reflist}}
  
  
{{page footer}}
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{{footer}}
 
[[Category:Statements]]
 
[[Category:Statements]]

Latest revision as of 10:07, 25 August 2011

This list is just the vocal venture capitalists against software patents.

Brad Feld

[...] patents on software are a massive tax on and retardant of innovation in the US.[1]

Art Reisman

Patents should never be awarded to: 1) ideas; 2) processes, recipes, software programs.

Todd Vernon

Many think that Software Patents are stupid. I conceptually agree with this statement. Having spent what seems like millions of hours constructing these, baby sitting them, defending them; it is really all wasted time and effort, at least in a conceptual sense. There is no way for a software engineer or system architect to have any idea what exists out there to either copy or avoid (whatever the motivation).

Laura Creighton

Software Patents have not protected the Small inventor from the Big Company -- instead they have made legal expertise an additional barrier to entry into the software business. And they scare investors like me out of investing in software businesses. In the United States there are plenty of companies whose fervent desire is to become successful enough to make their founders comfortable -- and no more successful. They are trying very hard to remain 'too small to be worth suing'. This does not benefit Society either.

Fred Wilson

Brad Burnham

Jason Mendelson

Chris Sacca

[T]he average Silicon Valley start-up or even medium sized company, no matter how truly innovative they are, I have no doubt that aspects of what they're doing violate patents right now. And that's what's fundamentally broken about this system right now.[2]

Related pages on ESP Wiki

External links

References