Re: [Patents] Halloween X

[Russell McOrmond <russell@flora.ca>]

On Tue, 9 Mar 2004, Stefano Maffulli wrote:

> And for those that would like to read a comment on 'halloween X' read: 
> http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/36066.html

I agree with much of this article, especially the closing:

    In another sense, Microsoft will breathe a huge sigh of relief. The 
    energy consumed by the SCO case - and what might be a fruitless search
    for a conspiracy - has distracted the software libre community from
    Microsoft's decision to embark on a patent licensing scheme of its 
    own.


  So many resources are wasted on SCO when we really need to be focusing
on the implications of information process patents.  In this the enemy
isn't Microsoft alone, but even more from IBM.  IBM may be claimed to be
coming around and is said to now be lobbying against business model
patents as "litigation is too expensive", but that hasn't clarified a
better position on pure-software patents.


BTW: The so-called "physics" rhetoric that Greg and others promote I can
summarize my thoughts on as follows: if we believe that information
processes have a technical nature (involves an application of natural
sciences), then we must believe that only "natural sciences" exist and the
"social sciences" all have a technical characteristic.

  Software is not technology, but technical knowledge, a service or
policy.  Software has far more in common with political science than
physics.  Even if it is a social science we should still be looking at
patent policy as form of economic public policy that has to be based on
sound subject-matter specific economic analysis.  The "science" aspects
are largely irrelevant to discussions of patent policy.

  Eithor way, whether we focus on the social science or economic public
policy aspects, information processes should not be patentable.

> ciao
> stef
-- 
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