Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos Calls for Truce in Patent Wars
Jeff Bezos, founder and chief executive officer of Amazon, is fed up with the patent system as it's currently implemented, and he's calling for change. It's an important topic in the field of technology, as Samsung can attest after losing a high-profile legal battle to Apple, in which it was slapped with a billion dollar fine for essentially copying the look and feel of Apple devices.
Bezos didn't say whether or not he takes issue with Apple's patent victory over Samsung, but he did go on record as indicating that patents have lost their way and are now stifling innovation rather than protecting intellectual property like they're supposed to.
"Governments need to look at the patent system and see if those laws need to be modified because I don't think some of these battles are healthy for society," Bezos told Metro. "I love technology, I love invention, I like rapid change, and really it's the golden age of wireless devices and mobile devices."
Bezos has a vested interest in ensuring patent laws are being used appropriately. Amazon is a major player in the mobile market with its Kindle e-reader and Kindle Fire tablet devices, and there are rumors that Amazon wants to launch its own brand smartphone, too.
According to a recent report, the so-called patent wars have cost the smartphone industry a whopping $20 billion in the past two years alone. That's an obscene amount of money, and unless something changes, billions of dollars more will go towards patent litigation in the coming years instead of being applied to R&D.
Bezos didn't say whether or not he takes issue with Apple's patent victory over Samsung, but he did go on record as indicating that patents have lost their way and are now stifling innovation rather than protecting intellectual property like they're supposed to.
"Governments need to look at the patent system and see if those laws need to be modified because I don't think some of these battles are healthy for society," Bezos told Metro. "I love technology, I love invention, I like rapid change, and really it's the golden age of wireless devices and mobile devices."
Bezos has a vested interest in ensuring patent laws are being used appropriately. Amazon is a major player in the mobile market with its Kindle e-reader and Kindle Fire tablet devices, and there are rumors that Amazon wants to launch its own brand smartphone, too.
According to a recent report, the so-called patent wars have cost the smartphone industry a whopping $20 billion in the past two years alone. That's an obscene amount of money, and unless something changes, billions of dollars more will go towards patent litigation in the coming years instead of being applied to R&D.
