Re: [Patents] Hardware N Software

[John Tobey <jtobey@john-edwin-tobey.org>]

On Tue, Jan 22, 2002 at 11:41:20AM -0800, Don Marti wrote:
> There's a continuous shading between content that is "pure
> expression" and "pure device".
> 
> It's hard to tell software from hardware at one end. (Greg's point)
> 
> It's hard to tell software from speech at the other end.
> See http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/DeCSS/Gallery/ for a well-known
> example.

Good point.  I would add that "software" reaches a third endpoint:
pure thought.  There is a class of problems that, depending on the
day, I might solve either mentally or by writing a tiny program.

Perhaps it is useful to think of a computer as an extension of the
brain and of running software as an extension of thought.

In my view, Greg's message about hw/sw equivalence is not all bad
news.  To those who wish to make money on their "software patents", I
say fine, go build it in silicon, and when I want one, I may be
willing to pay a little extra for your monopoly rights.  Just don't
tell me what I can't do with what I have!

-- 
John Tobey <jtobey@john-edwin-tobey.org>
\____^-^