Hans-Jürgen Stüber
Geschäftsführer der pitcom GmbH

If software patents where actually introduced the way as threatened by the current proposal, than we can expect middle term a strong monopolisation of the software market. Small companies will run under the permanent risk to get sued for infringement over patents they never ever heard of. Only large companies can afford to set aside capacity and funds to defend against these dangers. Small companies will disappear from the market as soon as they are sued merely because of lawyer fees and law expenses. Once again unemployment is preassigned. A second result: software will become much more expensive and the concomitant variety of software solutions will be reduced. The economic development, especially the innovative power of the whole sector is going to be thwarted - this must not happen.