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

[Stefano Maffulli <stef@zoomata.com>]

On Fri, 2002-06-14 at 17:34, Stefano Costa wrote:
> ... Call it tactics, call it politics, call it whatever
> you
> want...for me personally I simply don't bother for one or the
> other, because I perfectly know what megacorporations
> wants from patenting, and threat to open source are pretty
> marginal, on the market (*now*) exists a ton of SW that use
> patents without licensing and no one complaints, nor will do.

You seem to underestimate the fact that the software market is far from
being a free market. Tons of computer programs exist *now* only because
swpatents have existed for a short period of time, and because they are
not allowed in many countries.

That noone complaints is your personal opinion, facts are different:
free software developers are complaining as are all SME in Europe (see
the http://swpat.ffii.org/papers/eukonsult00/index.en.html)

> And when some rare case occur, you will see on underground
> sites plenty of programs that do the dirty job for you.

what are you talking about here? Cannot get it.

> Market is a tough judge. 

Market *may* be a though judge in real free market (the kind of market
that exists rarely in nature, but is still theorized by economists in
economic models)

> Microsoft, with all his power, can't
> do everything wants: .NET is (partly) open standard for a
> reason.

Don't even try bringing .NET in here, MS actually CAN do anything it
wants with .NET, having patented some core features. That's a whole
different story though.
 
> > //Erik
> >
> > (btw: your borderline problems will only be resolved by removing
> all
> > prerequisites for patentabilaty)
> 
> Correct. But remember that borders are always existed in
> laws, and laws are still with us. Because the good is more
> than the bad. Patents will be with us for the same reason.
> The only problem is that the good is primarily in the hands
> of the big fishes, and only a bit in our hands.
> But hey, this is the world where we live in.

hey, I don't want my kids to live in a world where society is ruled by
companies and not by democratically elected government. It's all about
democracy.

/stef

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