[Patents] Re: french views

[Gregory Aharonian srctran@world.std.com]

Stefane,
    Try reading what I wrote.  As I said, in the early 1990s, Oracle
did have a position against software patents, and circa 1994 wrote
that statement you refer to at the lpf.ai.mit.edu Web site.
    But shortly thereafter, they abandonen those beliefs, and started
an active software patenting campaign.  So your silly question "Did
they write something that said they changed their mind?  I believe
they didn't" is pointless - their actions speak much louder than 
their words - they are actively patenting software, engaging in the
same questionable practices that most other companies patenting
software engage in.
    So if you are trying to build up support for your views by relying
on the implicit support of an old statement from Oracle, you are wasting
your time where you are not naive.

    Now Hartmut tries to defend Oracle's switch in attitude by trying
to argue that Oracle still may be against software patents, but is
patenting because everyone else is.  Still false.  With Oracle's clout
and resources, there is much the company could do to help make the
software patent examination process at the USPTO more efficient and
of a higher quality - Oracle could help fight the abuses of the current
patent system.  That is, if they were really against the idea of
software patents.  But they are doing nothing to help improve the
system, seeking to exploit it like everyone else.  

    None of the weak arguments I have seen here recently have changed
my long held belief that the solution to the problem of bad (software)
patents is to get rid of the bad (software) patents, not to get rid of
patents in general (which is what some of you are arguing, though
hiding with the same type of word games that lawyers play).

Greg Aharonian