[Patents] Re: Patents digest, Vol 1 #294 - 14 msgs

[Fred Mobach fred@mobach.nl]

> From: Steve Probert <steve.probert@patent.gov.uk>
> To: patents@liberte.aful.org
> Subject: Re: [Patents] why the problem arises in the software field
> 
> >The problem is real and the software "industry" is not young.
> 
> When I said the software industry is young, I was referring 
> to the fact that it was barely in its infancy when the EPC 
> and most national patent laws were written.  The EPC was 
> completed in 1973 - 8 years (?) before the first PC.  What did 
> software look like in 1973?  Who was using computer programs 
> then, and for what purpose?

[SARCASM=1]
Poor young boy. Didn't you notice that computers were real and used
seriously even before you or the PC were born ?
[SARCASM=0]

Software in 1973 was used for scientific or business use. Think of
COBOL, RPG, Fortran, Algol and many others. 

Statistical packages like SPSS (not unknown nowadays), scientific
software for engineering (which I have done at that time for the Dutch
Railways) and so on.

Companies were using mini- and mainframe computers to run their
administrations. Never heard of bascule tape operation, I assume.

There exists a difference with the use of computers nowadays. Many
private people nowadays use (PC) computers to communicate via the
Internet (don't ask me why) or to play games. No problem, but not of
interest for me.

In case you are not able to recognize why science has florished since
the Renaissance I might tell you that that has been stimulated by
opening the sources and not because of a patent system.

Regards,

Fred

-- 
Fred Mobach - fred@mobach.nl - postmaster@mobach.nl
Systemhouse Mobach bv - The Netherlands - since 1976
/"\
\ /
 X  ASCII RIBBON CAMPAIGN
/ \ AGAINST HTML MAIL