Re: Software Patent Concerns => (FSF is Robin Hood?)

["Warren W. Gay VE3WWG" <ve3wwg@cogeco.ca>]

Robert C. Leif wrote:

> Why do you want a system that discriminates against software inventors? 

Most software patent holders are NOT the "software inventors"
(and this is the crux of the problem!) They are the
leaches that take existing pre-invented (ie. un-original) ideas,
and then take the trouble of patenting the idea (while the original
inventor, was willing to leave it free to the world).

Now why would I want to support "highway robbery"? This is what
the current "system" is supporting.

It does _not_ support the software inventor, who left the
idea "free", or those that want to make use of that
free idea. So the current system defends the "lawyer
minded", and offends everyone else.

> If I
> invent a new chemical or use for that chemical or clinical instrument, I can
> receive significant royalties. However, if I do the equivalent in software,
> you and others believe that these intellectual contributions should be free.

Writing software is very similar to writing a story. Each
piece of software is unique, and can be copyrighted (after
all, no two people are likely to code precisely the same
way, with the same variables and style, unless they be
extremely short and simple code segments, not worth
a discussion).

Software patents are similar to saying to a fiction writer
"you cannot write a story about 'Flying to the moon, inhabiting
that planet or space station'. This story idea has been
created and patented by person Z."  This would mean that if
you wanted to write your own fiction about a space station
around the moon, then you must license that right from Z to
do so (which is rediculous!)

Even worse, if you were to write about a space station
around the Earth, you might get sued because the idea would
be very similar to the one around the moon.

So this idea of software patents in my mind at least, is just
plain rediculous. Kinda smells like "you can't kill the
King's deer"!  Maybe the FSF is the Robin Hood of the
21st century!

Software needs to be as free as any other kind of creative
craft, including publishing and art. The creator is then
free to copyright his work, whether via GPL or a system
of his own choosing. But I maintain he should be able to
WRITE AS HE PLEASES!

No software patents please!

-- 
Warren W. Gay VE3WWG
http://home.cogeco.ca/~ve3wwg