[Patents] Black and white

[kodama@netcourrier.com (kodama@netcourrier.com)]

Dear all, =


I have been reading some threads for weeks, and the feeling I have is that=
 you really see the world in a black and white way. =


For instance, the threads about =22Free software vs software patents=22. =

However, if you look carefully how works the business, the same companies =
may fund free software AND file patent applications. The 2 worlds could ex=
ist together.

Another manichean thread is =22US patent owners=22 against european poor c=
ompany=22. But where do you have seen that european companies do not have =
any software patents ??   The point is that every software company having =
a long-term strategy do have software patents, in US or in Europe. =

Anyway, it is somewhat stupid to see the world as a Europe vs US war.

Last (only because I have no time to go through every arguments :-) ),  th=
ere is always and always the same old argument about big company owning pa=
tents and start-ups without any.
Again a stupid dichotomy :
- a lot of startup do have patents =21
- the main asset of a start-up vis a vis big companies when negociating pa=
rtnerships or contracts is patent portfolio. Otherwise, how to measure the=
ir know-how and what they bring ?
In addition, a start-up making R&D without patenting may easily be copied =
by other bigger companies (or other start-ups : start up does not mean whi=
te goose =21). The only mean to prevent this is patenting =21

Again, one may go on and go pointing out the silly arguments that some of =
people there do write and rewrite all the time. =

I hope that many of them are still students, so without any real knowledge=
 about business world. That may be an excuse.

But seeing everything in b&w, good vs evil,... well youth and inexperience=
 is not a sufficient excuse :-)

S. C

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