X-Sympa-To: patents
Return-Path: <rms@gnu.org>
Delivered-To: patents@aful.org
Received: from fencepost.gnu.org (fencepost.gnu.org [199.232.76.164])
	by stabilite.aful.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 2AD8846AD0
	for <patents@aful.org>; Wed, 10 Sep 2003 18:22:41 +0200 (CEST)
Received: from rms by fencepost.gnu.org with local (Exim 4.20)
	id 19x7Kz-0002O3-J9; Wed, 10 Sep 2003 11:56:57 -0400
From: Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
To: Seth Johnson <seth.johnson@RealMeasures.dyndns.org>
Cc: C-FIT_Community@RealMeasures.dyndns.org,
	C-FIT_Release_Community@RealMeasures.dyndns.org,
	fairuse-discuss@nyfairuse.org, patents@aful.org,
	DMCA_Discuss@lists.microshaft.org, DMCA-Activists@gnu.org,
	dc-free@tux.org
In-reply-to: <3F5D3024.9FF57DD4@RealMeasures.dyndns.org> (message from Seth
	Johnson on Mon, 08 Sep 2003 21:43:00 -0400)
Subject: Re: On the Eolas Patent: Who Do I Sue?
Reply-To: rms@gnu.org
References:  <3F5D3024.9FF57DD4@RealMeasures.dyndns.org>
Message-Id: <E19x7Kz-0002O3-J9@fencepost.gnu.org>
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 11:56:57 -0400
X-Validation-by: rms@gnu.org

    The thing is we have filed for two patents on our software, but purposely
    narrowed the scope to be specific to our area of use so as to not deny some
    other programmer the ability to use the solution we came up with in other
    fields.

That's rather like saying "I only decided to mug people in one
six-block neighborhood."

	      One of the patents could have been very broad.  At the time I was
    of the opinion that you did it because everyone else was doing it, but now
    I'm firmly in the camp that they should not be allowed.  Losing millions
    will do that to you :-).  Software development moves much to fast for anyone
    to keep up with all the new developments and thus stupid patents will
    continue to get issued because of ignorance.  Here is to an end to software
    patents.

I'm glad he saw the light.

