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Date: Thu, 06 Nov 2003 14:56:02 +0100
From: Francois PELLEGRINI <pelegrin@labri.fr>
Organization: INRIA & LaBRI, Universite Bordeaux I
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To: patents@aful.org
Subject: Two centuries ago, the birth and death of business methods.
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Hello all,


Here is a very interesting fact, recalled by
Christine Treguier in the newspaper "Politis" :

<quote>

Voulant rompre avec les privil=E8ges et deux si=E8cles de mercantilisme, la=
=20
premi=E8re loi fran=E7aise de 1791 consacrait le droit de propri=E9t=E9=20
inali=E9nable de chacun sur ses id=E9es et ne mentionnait par cons=E9quent=
=20
aucune exception. Les exc=E8s ne se firent pas attendre. Quatorze brevets=
=20
furent pris en moins d=92un an par des officines pour des services de=20
tontines, assurances, contrats d'usure et autres transactions=20
financi=E8res. Un d=E9nomm=E9 Poissault obtint, par exemple, une protection=
=20
pour =AB l=92=E9tablissement de bureaux d=92=E9change d=92assignats avec ga=
rantie et=20
provision =BB. Un d=E9cret de 1792 vint corriger cette d=E9rive en interdis=
ant=20
l=92octroi de brevet sur les =AB m=E9thodes et combinaisons financi=E8res =
=BB.=20
Identifier un service, une fonction d=92interm=E9diaire dans un processus=
=20
commercial, concevoir des outils et des m=E9thodes, se faire r=E9mun=E9rer=
=20
pour le service fourni sont une chose, en monopoliser l=92id=E9e en est une=
=20
autre !

</quote>

Rough translation :

In 1791, a French law enabled people to claim perpetual ownership on
their ideas. Consequently, in less than one year, 14 patents were
filed regarding financial services. In 1792, a second law passed,
forbiding the granting of patents on "financial methods and
combinations".

History is stuttering. Business method and software patents are just
a resurgence of the very same greed and stupidity.


					f.p.



