[Patents] Software patents advocacy in "Le Monde Informatique" :-(

[PILCH Hartmut phm@a2e.de]

> This is really the kind of article which should not remain unanswered,
> as all the arguments are flawed.

We have similar articles in Law journals in Germany, including one by
Betten & Esslinger in ComputerRecht with a page of FUD about the
"opensource movement" and its reasons to oppose patents.  This article
says that the opensource crowd is misinformed and really doesn't have much
of a reason, because one can still continue to write programs in spite of
a patent, as long as one doesn't make them publicly available on the Net.
Of course Betten & E fail to mention any publications of the "opensource
movement".  This gives the whole legal profession's journal the character
of a propaganda publication.  A shame, really.

It should be in the interest of the Law Journals to get some qualified
counter-viewpoints published.  This is one of the things we should be
organising.

-phm