[Patents] Hardware/software codesign

[Bernard Lang Bernard.Lang@inria.fr]

On Wed, Nov 29, 2000 at 12:02:07PM -0500, Gregory Aharonian wrote:
> >Mr. Aharonian as well as other proponents fail to answer the one and
> >ONLY question: are software patents beneficial to society???
> 
> Yes, as beneficial to society as patents for any other type of
> technology.  There is nothing special about software,

  that is an unsubstantiated statement, contradicted but economists.

  hence invalidating the rest of your reply.

> it is the
> latest area of technology to be "hot" and therefore stress the
> patent systems around the world.  All of these arguments on this
> list have been heard repeatedly for the last one hundred years
> (i.e. "why should transistor circuits be patentable - they are
> all obvious from early vacuum tube circuit patents"), most
> recently for biotechnology.

right ...  we made so many mistakes in the past that we earned a
right to make mistakes for ever.

>  In fact, in terms of disruptions
> to research and development, suffering by consumers, and
> distortions in the marketplace, biotechnology patenting is
> causing orders more problems than software patents (i.e. if
> you can't afford access to my patented software product, you
> go read a book - if you can't afford access to my patented AIDS
> drug, you die).
> 
> I have no problem questioning the patentability of software, as
> long as it is done in the context of questioning the patentability
> of all areas of technology as we enter the 21st century.  But
> there is no science and no logic in separating out software.

  there is economic science.

  analysis of the economic effects of patents depends on parameters
that vary with the area concerned.  We question patents in all areas,
but do not necessarily reach the same conclusion for each.

   No you can pretend that economics plays no role in the Turing
world, and I will grant you as much.  So what. You are just
demonstrating that your so-called equivalence is void.

  But of course, running out of arguments on this issue... you will
ignore what I just said and go on repeating the same statements.
If I can judge from past experience.

Bernard

PS  Do you ever recognize having been wrong ?

   you obviously understand what we are saying.

-- 
         Non aux Brevets Logiciels  -  No to Software Patents
           SIGNEZ    http://petition.eurolinux.org/    SIGN

Bernard.Lang@inria.fr             ,_  /\o    \o/    Tel  +33 1 3963 5644
http://pauillac.inria.fr/~lang/  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  Fax  +33 1 3963 5469
            INRIA / B.P. 105 / 78153 Le Chesnay CEDEX / France
         Je n'exprime que mon opinion - I express only my opinion
                 CAGED BEHIND WINDOWS or FREE WITH LINUX