New Zealand bans software patents

Software patenting will be banned by law in New Zealand.

The country's authorities believe that this will stimulate innovation and improve competition in the industry.

Representatives of the computer industry agree with the decision to abolish software patents. They believe that it is impossible to create software today "without infringing one of the hundreds of thousands of patents issued worldwide."

Meanwhile, the country is preparing to adopt a Patent Law in the future, which will provide for the patenting of computer programs, but not in the way that is customary today.

Patent litigation is particularly common in the software development industry and is the subject of multi-million dollar disputes.