Red Hat Chief Executive Matthew Szulik blamed the software patent system for retarding development.

Speaking to the Open Source Business Conference Szulik said that in the last 30 years, patents have become a challenge to innovation.

He said that the industry moves much faster than a remedy process and there is little empirical evidence that builds a correlation between patents and innovation.

Speaking to News.com, Szulik said software patents "absolutely" retard the pace of innovation although he stopped short of calling for their abolition.

More here.