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

[Sylvain Perchaud <sylvain@europe-shareware.org>]

Le vendredi 14 juin 2002 à 15:00, Gregory Aharonian a écrit:

>Sylvain rambles:
>>Considering the average software innovation cycle, a 20 years patent
>>protection would be a measure against free competition and freedom o
>>choice for the customers.
>
>Which has no basis in actual market practices.

Do you have any study proving that ?
What we are sure is that the 20 years patent protection doesn't match the
cycle of innovation (3 years), or when the patent monopole is longer than
the average product life cycle you have negative market effects.

Studies:
- Bessen J. et Maskin E. (2000), "Sequential Innovation, Patents, and
Imitiation", MIT.
        http://www.researchoninnovation.org/patent.pdf

- Max Planck Institut / Fraunhofer Institut (Septembre 2001), "Mikro- und
makroökonomische Implikationen der Patentierbarkeit von
Softwareinnovationen : Geistige Eigentumsrechte in der
Informationstechnologie im Spannungsfeld von Wettbewerb und Innovation".
        
http://www.bmwi.de/Homepage/download/technologie/Softwarepatentstudie.pdf

- Richard F. (1998), "Recherche, Invention et Innovation", Economica.

- Smets J.P. (1999), "Software Useright: Solving Inconsistencies of
Software Patents".
        http://swpat.ffii.org/vreji/prina/useright.pdf


>  It also ignores the
>original question.  If 20 years is too long for patents, why isn't
>100+ years too long for copyright

Copyright protects original work against piracy and this is very useful
for the software publishers.
I don't see any benefit for the society to let competitors make simple
copies of one's software.



PS: a man only use insults when he has no argument left or when he knows
he's wrong, I hope you aren't in this case.

--
Sylvain Perchaud
http://www.europe-shareware.org