From srctran@world.std.com  Mon Jun 18 03:02:06 2001
From: srctran@world.std.com (Gregory Aharonian)
Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2001 22:02:06 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Patents] Re: 80,000 signatures for software patent free
 Europe
References: <Pine.LNX.4.21.0106161747140.2056-100000@imladris.rielhome.conectiva>
 <200106171739.NAA20518@world.std.com>
Message-ID: <200106180202.WAA06597@world.std.com>

Brenno writes - 'Those examples show that software patents have moved
from innovating industries to legal tricks that basically are a way of obtaining
monopolies without inventing or investing.

Again, you have to separate bad software patents from software patenting
being bad.  I have argued for 8 years that way too many software patents
are bad, at least 60 to 80 percent.  But I have never argued that that means
we should get rid of software patents, utbut rather get the patent offices
to do a better job.

Second, you criticism of software patents as non'innovating monopolies
applies to other areas of technology as well.  Go talk to researchers
in genetics, who will complain for hours about overly broad patents on
basic procedures they have to use every day.

So once again, your complaints about software patents, true or false,
are little different from the complaints about patents in other fields of
technology.  And there are many such complaints about all fields of
technology.  I argue in this forum they way I do because I think it is
intellectually dishonest to pick on software patents.  I want to 
improve the quality of the whole system, but not by shooting it as some
on this list would like to do.

Greg Aharonian


