Z:gnu-www-ja-stallman-mec-india--64f3bf-So, that means if there are 10/en

So, that means if there are 100 things in your program, there are potentially some five thousand pairs of two that might be patented by somebody already, and there is no law against patenting a combination of three of them either. That's just the features, you know. There's going to be many techniques that you use in writing a program, many algorithms, they could be patented too. So there are lots and lots of things that could be patented. The result is that developing a program becomes like crossing a field of land mines. Sure, each step probably will not step on a patent, each design decision. Chances are it will be safe. But crossing the whole field becomes dangerous.