Re: [Patents] Stallman on patents in ZD Net UK

[iriXx <irixx@irixx.org>]

Gregory Aharonian wrote:

> > Yep. Definately one of the better articles - worth a read over
> > easter while you're stuck in traffic jams :-)
>
> Only if you are easily amused.  He makes all sorts of dire predictions
> about the impact of software patents, but without providing any
> statistical or economic data (not that anyone else does).


actually this isnt true. unfortunately the article doesnt print this, 
but i heard the talk in person, he referred to
http://www.researchoninnovation.org/patents.pdf which is a detailed 
statistical study of the economic effect of software patenting. i have 
read it myself and find it to be very thorough.


> He also grossly minimizes the negative impact of patents on other fields
> of technology. 


again hearing the talk in full, he does not do this, and this 
possibility is also drawn upon in the questions section at the end.
perhaps you might be interested in hearing an ogg vorbis file of the 
complete talk:

http://www.nickhill.co.uk/rms-speech-cambridgeuni-england2002.ogg

(ca. 13Mb)

i havent listened to this version myself, but i made my own recording 
which does include the audience questions, and i would be happy to make 
it available should you be interested.

> In fact, if you make lists of patent infringement
> lawsuit damages paid, there are few if any software cases, for amounts
> way down in the list.  


actually he quotes a few noteworthy cases in which he was personally 
involved.

> I doubt highly anyone in the biotech world would
> agree with any of Stallman's assertions about the negative impact of
> biotech patents.


how about the *ethics* of gene patenting?


> He complains about the language of software patents, but all fields of
> technology have that problem.  He complains about the victims of
> software patents, but all fields of technology have that problem
> (and statistically, there are probably far fewer victims of software
> patents compared to these other areas of technology).  


have you anything to back this?
Stallman quotes some very interesting cases of cross-licensing in the 
talk which demonstrate the corporate monopoly that software patenting 
has already created.

> He complains
> about the licensing of software patents, but all areas of technology 
> have that problem (if he wasn't so intellectually lazy, he would
> research the massive licensing headaches of biotech MTAs). 


he has actually. Stallman has an impressive general knowledge of 
patenting, although he does not assert to be an expert in patent law, 
because he is not a patent lawyer, he is a software developer!


> In fact, if anything he is boring, because advocates of patents have
> been more critical much earlier than Stallman is (though sadly, few
> of these people provide much statistical or economic data).


not at all!
the talk itself was a lively and humourous discussion!

on a final note: beware of judging something by someone's transcription. 
 this is often biased, and indeed can be extremely boring. the talk 
itself was most stimulating, regardless of your opinion on software 
patenting.

best

miriam




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iriXx

www.iriXx.org

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