From rol@swing.be Fri, 7 Jul 2000 11:21:05 +0200
Date: Fri, 7 Jul 2000 11:21:05 +0200
From: Luc Rogge rol@swing.be
Subject: [Patents] About publishing before someone tries to patent your idea
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Hello,

=20
Yesterday, I signed the petition against software patents in Europe, on =
eurolinux.org.
=20
I browsed that site and many related sites for a couple of hours.
I learned a lot about organizations fighting against software patents =
around the world.
Fighting against existing patents in the USA.
Fighting against coming patents in Europe.

But, besides fighting against the very existence of software patents, =
what can we do?
What can we do before such patents might be forbidden in the USA?
What can we do to minimize the troubles if such patents are allowed in =
Europe, in a very near future?

I read that Stallman once neglected to publish a trick about windowing =
systems because he doesn't feel it was interesting enough, but someone =
did patent the same idea some years later.

So, for me, the obvious answer to my question is:
publish publish publish.
Publish as many ideas, as possible, even trivial and obvious ones.

But publishing is a costly effort.
It requires a lot of energy to write a paper.
It requires a lot of energy to interact with an editor to refine that =
paper.
It requires a lot of energy and time before being published.

So, what about creating a publication where anyone can write about any =
idea,
without the constraints of usual newspapers?
Without constraints about the length of the paper.
Without the need to check that the idea has never been published before.
Without the need to make nice page layout, style- and spell checking.

A publication that is not really intended to be read, but only to serve =
as a repository of ideas.
Once those ideas are published, they are not patentable anymore.

But I don't know HOW such ideas must be published to be no more =
patentable.
=20
Must the publication be printed on paper?
We don't need pretty printing; a simple computer print-out may be =
enough.
=20
Must it be sent to the library of congress and similar organizations in =
Europe?
By coordinating efforts between mai organizations around the world, that =
should not be a great problem.

What do the lawyers think about such an idea?

Or, if it already exists (after all, it is an obvious idea),
what about visible links in the main 'programming freedom' sites?


Luc Rogge
Software engineer,
l.rogge@computer.org


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Hello,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Yesterday, I signed the petition =
against software=20
patents in Europe, on eurolinux.org.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I browsed that site and many related =
sites for a=20
couple of hours.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I learned a =
lot about=20
organizations fighting against software patents around the=20
world.</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Fighting against existing patents in =
the=20
USA.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Fighting=20
against&nbsp;coming patents in Europe.</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>But, besides fighting against the very =
existence of=20
software patents, what can we do?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>What can we do before such patents =
might be=20
forbidden in the USA?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>What can we do to minimize the troubles =
if such=20
patents are allowed in Europe, in a very near future?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>I read that Stallman once neglected to publish a trick about =
windowing=20
systems because he doesn't feel&nbsp;it was interesting enough, but =
someone did=20
patent the same idea some years later.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>So, for me, the obvious answer to my question =
is:</DIV></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>publish publish publish.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Publish as many ideas, as possible, =
even trivial=20
and obvious ones.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>But publishing is a costly =
effort.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>It requires a lot of energy to write a=20
paper.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>It requires a lot of energy to interact =
with an=20
editor to refine that paper.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>It requires a lot of energy and time =
before being=20
published.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>So, what about creating a publication =
where anyone=20
can write about any idea,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>without the constraints of usual=20
newspapers?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Without constraints about the length of =
the=20
paper.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Without&nbsp;the need to check that the =
idea has=20
never been published before.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Without&nbsp;the need to make nice page =
layout,=20
style- and spell checking.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>A&nbsp;publication that is not really =
intended to=20
be read, but only to serve as a repository of ideas.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Once those ideas are published, they =
are not=20
patentable anymore.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>But I don't know HOW such ideas must be =
published=20
to be no more patentable.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Must the publication be printed on=20
paper?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>We don't need pretty printing; a simple =
computer=20
print-out may be enough.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Must it be sent to the library of =
congress and=20
similar organizations in Europe?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>By coordinating efforts between mai =
organizations=20
around the world, that should not be a great problem.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>What do the lawyers think about such an =

idea?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Or, if it already exists (after all, it =
is an=20
obvious idea),</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>what about visible links in the main =
'programming=20
freedom' sites?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Luc Rogge</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Software engineer,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"mailto:l.rogge@computer.org">l.rogge@computer.org</A></FONT></DIV=
>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV></BODY></HTML>

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