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From: Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
To: Gregory Aharonian <srctran@world.std.com>
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In-reply-to: <200304261956.PAA09508@world.std.com> (message from Gregory
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Subject: Re: [fsl-discuss] Re: [Patents] The politics of software
    over-protection -- moving forward..
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Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2003 00:37:38 -0400
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    Protecting software ideas with patents enhances software technical
    development the same way protecting electronic ideas with patents
    enhances electronic technical development, the same way protecting
    optical ideas with paents enhances optical technical development,

There is little evidence to support this dogma in any field.  For some
fields, including software, there is some reason to believe that they
retard progress; see http://www.researchoninnovation.org/patent.pdf.

In physical engineering, patents generally restrict only factories,
not the general public.  Whether or not they do any good, the only
harm they can do is at the macroeconomic level.  Software patents
restrict every computer user.  That is why we are fighting to abolish
them.


