> Imagine that Euclid's algorithm was patented? Or Pythagoras theorem? Or the definition of exterior derivative? Or the expression of a function as Fourier series? All of these are valuable ideas that are non-trivial to come by. The same argument for software patents applies to each of these cases, and in all these cases it is evident (to me) that these mathematical constructions cannot be patented, and that society cannot grant monopoly of their usage to their discoverers.
You are forgetting that patents are only granted for limited time. If we applied the current system, those things would be patented only for 20 years after their discovery. Would it still be unimaginable?
Maybe your opinion is still the same but the situation is not as clear-cut as it seems. For example, I would guess that if patents were cancelled the industrial budgets for research would somewhat decrease, because there would be smaller advantage in figuring things out first.
You are forgetting that patents are only granted for limited time. If we applied the current system, those things would be patented only for 20 years after their discovery. Would it still be unimaginable?
Maybe your opinion is still the same but the situation is not as clear-cut as it seems. For example, I would guess that if patents were cancelled the industrial budgets for research would somewhat decrease, because there would be smaller advantage in figuring things out first.