[Patents] About 'cute' campaign

[Krzysztof Sobolewski critto@proterians.net]

Hi there,

   On Thu, 30.12.1999, 16:38:53 +0100(CET), PILCH Hartmut <phm@a2e.de> wrote:
   
[biiig cut]

>Greg is right.  There ARE cases where patent protection, applied in a
>sensible manner, could be seen as doing more good than harm.  see
  
>       http://www.webnoize.com/item.rs?ID=4155

>Imho these few cases should be sacrificed.  Some better way of
>recompensing the creators should be found.  The Market is lame anyway, as
>far as informational and other self-replicating values are concerned.

  Even if such cases exist (I don't believe in it!) we MUST sacrify them - 
for better future for all programmers and other IT creators, instead of 
hyper-monopoly, over-control, and infinited sums of money spent for 
patent searches only (instead of r&d)... And if we all DO NOT WANT to 
become mentally-ill ;->>> (what may happen in that world, which is
becoming world of more and more absurd)
  
>>   And one more thing - we, software makers, have the best protection
>> in the world - copyrights. I think that copyrights are even more
>> strict then patents, but do not have destructive influence on the
>> market - and really they are RIGHT, not privilege like patents.

>The distinction between "right" and "privilege" is not an absolute one.
>Imho both of these rights offer too little protection for recompensing the
>creators of good informational works.  And both harm the public, patent
>right much more so than copyright.  But this can't be generalised.

  I really disagree. Listen, when you write something, eg. science-fiction
book (or newest Operating System :-)), you copyright it so anyone who 
wants to use or purchase it needs a licence, oftenest for money that 
he/she pays to you - it is just, and it could be called "right" 
(because it IS right! :) 
  Of course, you may also decide, that this book, or this OS, should be 
spreaded freely - as eg Linus Torvalds did with "Linux". 
(in that case, copyright supports and protects your right to preserve
your work free for everyone). Isn't it fair ? I'm SURE it is.
And that's why I support Free Soft. Foundation, and GNU GPL License, 
instead of PD (Public Domain) ware.
  Of course copyrights may be abused; the latest case around "DVD Hack"
(more info in latest "EFFector Online"), or the Digital Copyright Act 
(or somehow it is called) passed in recent times in USA (that bill which
makes plain facts gathered by news agencies copyrighted), are wrong and 
abusive; but those cases are the exceptions from generally RIGHT idea
of copyrighting, which I really support.
  You know, that if books were patentable, and if you were the FIRST 
sci-fi writer, you could PREVENT anyone else from writing sci-fi books- 
could it be right, good, or useful ? Even if it gave very much money to 
you, or your editor ? I don't think so; moreover, it would be called 
'censorship', and fought by civil-liberties orgs.


>> So, to change anything, first we must raise awareness and gain
>> attention - and do it well; what will happen later, we will see.

>I'd say all approaches are welcome.

>Certainly there is no need to accept the "necessity" of "getting real" and
>start bargaining on "source vs binary" or something of the kind the people
>from the intellecto-proprietary complex would like to hear us arguing
>about.  The only asset we have, the only reason why the patent legislators
>might take us seriously, is that we have truth and economic soundness on
>our side.

  I'm really sorry I didn't understood your words here.... :-(((
  
Anyway, campaign IS NECESSARY to do the things I've described - to raise
public awareness about the threat posed by patents to IT and programmers,
and NOT to publically discuss about the "source vs binary", and similiar
details, which are understandable only for us - programmers and lawyers
(like Blue Ribbon wasn't intended to discuss about the provisions of 
CDA, but abolition of CDA and censorship at all).
  And I'm sure that we really COULD convince patent legislators to our
rights, if we have thousands and millions of people (programmers and 
nerds I think) on our side - someone said, that "when you form a strong
group, successful lobbying is a question of your will, and question of 
time you spend" - and the only problem is to CONVINCE those people
to become the strong power... But it is not unreal.

>How do you like the logo and rhetoric of the FFII campaign: 

>       http://swpat.ffii.org

>I created some nice words for it, some already used above.

  It is good. I'm sorry, I didn't have much time to surf around
those pages, but at first sight they are nice... Anyway, I hope you 
want to NAME your organization with "human-readable name" ? ;-)))
("ffii" says nothing to me!)

>--
>phm



>_______________________________________________
>Patents maillist  -  Patents@liberte.aful.org
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  Greetings, and Best New Year's Y2K Wishes
   antipatently yours
        Critto
            
*****************************************************************
     Krzysztof(Christopher) Kazimierz "Critto" Sobolewski
e-mail:critto@proterians.net
www:http://proterians.net/~critto ;(only Polish language
         pages yet :-((
phone:+4858 301-72-50
address:ul. Krosna 32/2, 80-857 Gdansk, POLAND, EUROPE
-----------------------------------------------------------------
      having some software patents: 
          #CEASE_PATENT_STUPIDITY_BEFORE_IT_S_TOO_LATE
          #LET_THE_PROGRAMMERS_SHOW_THEIR_ABILITIES
          #LET_THE_IT_MARKET_SURVIVE
          #LET_IT_THRIVE_WITHOUT_THREAT_OF_PATENTS
            (...and some more, all licensed for free!)
*****************************************************************     
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