I am really thrilled to read that this year’s Nobel Prize for Economics goes to three individuals, one of whom, Prof Eric Maskin, in 1999 (published in 2000) co-wrote with James Bessen, about the fallacy of software patents. It is really timely to have this come out for it further strengthens the argument the FOSS community has always had about the dangers of software patents. The fact that we now have to have defensive patents in the forms of the Open Invention Network to ward off efforts by companies to stifle innovation and invention in software using patents. Anyway, congratulations, Prof Maskin!