From srctran@world.std.com  Wed Dec 20 22:19:06 2000
Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2000 17:19:06 -0500 (EST)
From: Gregory Aharonian srctran@world.std.com
Subject: [Patents] regulation draft proposal: revision

>How would you collect statistic data about programs that weren't
>written because people decided that writing programs was no longer
>worthwhile, given the risks resulting from the patent system?

Which shows you that it if it so hard to collect such data, there
probably isn't much data to collect, because it isn't an
"unparalleled" problem.

But here is an equivalent question.  What software application needs
to people have that aren't being met because people are afraid to
write software because of patents?  The answer - none.

I bust software patents for a living, which means I have to keep
track of three main bodies of software: commercially available
software, academically developed software, and open source/network
available software.  Let me tell you, it is getting more and more
difficult for me to do my job because it is getting harder and
harder to track all of the new software that comes out every day,
week, month and year.

Academically, the journals and conference proceedings are getting
thicker and thicker.  Commercially (at least before the NASDAQ
meltdown), the advertisements for new software filled countless
new magazines.  And open source/network, I have given up trying to
keep track of the endless amounts of new software posted at way
too many sites.

So the answer is quite simple.  Hartmut, you may be afraid of
software patents, but very few other people are.  There is no
software application I need that I can't either buy from a vendor,
find some source code on the Internet, and get some Linux
consultant to develop for me (and by the way, Linux consultants
under hire don't have anything to fear from patents for their
activities - the responsbility passes to their client).

So - tell me - tell us - what software application need isn't being
met many times over because of the fear of software patents?  Huh?

Greg Aharonian




