Re: [Patents] US patent reform strategy inaugurated by myths & lies

[Gregory Aharonian <srctran@world.std.com>]

>Can you please explain any competitive advantage you see for Europe in
>allowing USA-style patents?

>.. so that European companies and startups can compete on technical
>.. and free market grounds at home, .....

But having better technology, if you offer the technology to the world
for free (such as Open Source), does not provide much of a competition
strategy.  Assuming your new technology is of interest to companies,
free market dynamics usually leads to such companies going to more
established companies (like IBM) to service and maintain the software,
as well as to further develop and integrate the software.

Look at the US.  All the big consulting dollars for open source services
are going to the big service and consulting companies.  It is why there
has been a steady drift of open sources who are running businesses to
get more protection for their new software technology.  Given the
impotence of copyright, the drift is towards patents.

Now if you want to volunteer your time to develop new technologies so
that other companies can reap the bulk of the profits, I applaud your
altruism.

But me, I'm greedy, and if I develop something new in software, I want
to make sure I get a good chunk of the profits.  For a small entity
such as myself, knowing the games of intellectual property, there is
nothing better than a patent.  Sure, the quality of patents has to
be improved, but that is important only if you are serious about
IP protection and running businesses.

Greg Aharonian