Re: [Patents] "Copyleft" abstract

[PILCH Hartmut <phm@a2e.de>]

> I would still be keen to hear from anyone who might be interested in
> discussing the issues of software patenting from any point of view, and
> in particular the implications of patenting on the open source and free
> software movements. My abstract is available online at:
>
> http://www.iriXx.org/copyleft-abstract.htm

I think the patenting issue is not quite comparable to the copyright
debates in this abstract.  There is currently no movement for a right to
remix proprietary software code.  Free software is in principle written
from scratch and in strict observance of other people's copyright, without
complaining.

Also historically, there is a significant difference:  the remixers are
demanding compromises in existing copyrights, while the software
developpers (not only those of free software) are trying to push back an
invader who has occupied their terrain by force (without any valid
reasoning, using the overwhelming political weight which the patent lobby
has acquired in the hardware area) and stolen their copyright property
only a few years ago.  The patent lobby is itself the biggest software
pirate.

On the frictions of free software economy and patent economy and possible
strategies for free software, I have written, with input from others on
this list, a text at

        http://swpat.ffii.org/stidi/gacri/

-- 
Hartmut Pilch                   http://offen.ffii.org/ffii/Members/phm/
Schutz der Innovation vor der Patentinflation:   http://swpat.ffii.org/
100K Stimmen 300 Firmen gegen Logikpatente:  http://www.noepatents.org/