From marmalade@x-stream.co.uk Mon, 27 Sep 1999 19:40:34 +0100
Date: Mon, 27 Sep 1999 19:40:34 +0100
From: Nick Fleming marmalade@x-stream.co.uk
Subject: [Patents] Benefits of free software.

Dear Everyone,
    There seems to be a lot of confusion over the role
of free software in business. Speaking as one whose
livelihood depends on providing the service of writing
custom software for a number of customers, I know
from first hand experience the positive effect that
free software has on business. A few years ago, I was
asked to port an image system that relied a
patented  image compression format to one
that would give comparable results under Windows NT.
The reasons for this were that the ****  development
kit (name withheld for obvious legal reasons) 
was not supported under NT and as it was a central
part of the port for Year 2K compliance, a suitable
alternative format was required. I choose JPEG for
four simple reasons:
    1) Because it was mature technology - It had few bugs
        thanks to the sheer number of people fixing them.
    2) The source code was well written and maintainable.
    3) There were no licencing restrictions i.e. no hidden costs.
    4) The source code was freely available.
The last part was particularly important. If the company
I worked for went out of business it was important for
the customer to have control over the contents of its
image database over a long term, and did not want to
repeat the **** experience.

Without free software, it would have been impossible
to meet the customers needs and by now, it would have
been in serious trouble.

According to my calculations, the only DIRECT threat
free software poses to business are to those businesses
who sell software as a complete 'Off the shelf' packages.
- where the free software provides the same features as
its commercial counterpart. Everyone else benefits to
some degree, except in very rare circumstances.

Software patents on the other hand have the potential
to do far more damage- as my own experience shows.

Regards,

Nick F.







