From critto@proterians.net Tue, 25 Jan 2000 16:14:39 +0100 (EET)
Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2000 16:14:39 +0100 (EET)
From: Krzysztof Sobolewski critto@proterians.net
Subject: [Patents] New solutions against software patents

Hi again,
it's me, Critto.
  To Greg: sorry for my words sometimes "too sharp". I understand,
that you may be very good at your own job - and I wish you luck.
I only disagree with you on some issues, and that makes me sometimes
mad:-)))
  
  To all: I've read Greg's proposal ("original" proposal, as Bernard
Lang've said) how to fight against software patents... Hmmm...
It may sound good, but only if "patent busters" are honest and
ethical people; Greg may be such honest, ethical man; but I don't
believe, and I won't believe, that everybody in "patent buster"
job is ethical and honest - and some people may exploit that situation
to earn money only, and it will be good for them to maintain software
patent system - like for some unethical firemen it may be good, when
there are wildfires, and they may even incite them (there were such
cases in Poland). So, it's better no tempt "evil forces", I think;
acting for honest aim, we must be honest ourselves.
  ("treat others as you want be treated by them" - The Golden Rule)
  
  I've another proposal - if we can't "unpatent" all software
immediately, and/or abolish patent system at all, why not try to:
    PATENT "ANYTHING_THAT_IS_MOVING" IN THE SOFTWARE FOR FREE USE
(SIMILIAR TO GPL) ONLY ? It could even make free software prevailant
over commercial one, and I'm sure that it would show the "big companies"
how bad, harmful and abused may be the software patents (when they
can't make any software while free-software makers may) ? 
  What about "Linux monopoly" ?  
  So maybe let's patent everything - even such trivial algorithms as
"do...loop" for free use only. Maybe it will give any patent advocates
a _good_ lesson.

  I also support some changes to patent law, like: shortening
the patent protection period (to 3 years), shortening the pendency
period (to 6 months), "non-triviality requirement", etc, as described
in the report "Industry at Risk" published by League for Programming
Freedom. If we can't abolish software patents here and know, let's make
them far less harmful.

  Sooner or later, software patents WILL be abolished; because when 
something does not fit to reality, it has to die. And we are those,
who may make that evolution, or peaceful revolution. It is OUR
time now, and our solutions SHALL overcome.

  And that's all this time. See you next time!
       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 software patents:
      #CEASE_THAT_PATENT_STUPIDITY
      #STOP_THAT_PATENT_MADNESS
      #LET_THE_SOFTWARE_SURVIVE
      #SUPPORT_FREE_SOFTWARE
      #DO_NOT_LET_THEM_MAKE_A_MONOPOLY
*****************************************************************     
PS. "The things left as they are tend from bad to worse" - Murphy's law





