In this good new interview with Richard Stallman you'll find his current stance on and interpretation of the defunct system. This includes the Great Illusion that intellectual Monopolies 'protect' developers rather than achieve the very opposite.

This is the most crucial thing for people to realize about software and patents. It's not a matter of patenting a program; it's a matter of patenting the ideas that the developer puts together to make a program. Far from being something beneficial for software developers, instead, it's a dangerous for a software developer to develop a software package--he likely to be the victim of a patent law suit.

Look who has just been trolled over software patents?

International Business Machines Corp., Oracle Corp. and SAP AG were sued by a closely held company that accuses them of infringing its patents.

Implicit Networks Inc., based in Seattle, claims the three companies and Adobe Systems Inc. are violating two patents for computer-server software that performs faster security functions. The patents were issued from 1998 and 2001 applications.

But you know what they say: there is no "innovation" in application, unless software patents is enforced. Supportive evidence seems to be lacking.⬆

"I think that "innovation" is a four-letter word in the industry. It should never be used in polite company. It's become a PR thing to sell new versions with."

"It was Edison who said "1% inspiration, 99% perspiration". That may have been true a hundred years ago. These days it's "0.01% inspiration, 99.99% perspiration", and the inspiration is the easy part. As a project manager, I have never had trouble finding people with crazy ideas. I have trouble finding people who can execute. IOW, "innovation" is way oversold. And it sure as hell shouldn't be applied to products like MS Word or Open office."

--Linus Torvalds (last week)