From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.9 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00 autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,52a0bacbcdd2da17 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2003-08-19 10:08:11 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!news1.google.com!newsfeed.stanford.edu!cyclone.bc.net!snoopy.risq.qc.ca!nf3.bellglobal.com!nf1.bellglobal.com!nf2.bellglobal.com!news20.bellglobal.com.POSTED!not-for-mail From: "Warren W. Gay VE3WWG" User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.0; en-US; rv:1.4) Gecko/20030624 Netscape/7.1 (ax) X-Accept-Language: en-us, en MIME-Version: 1.0 Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: Software Patent Concerns => (FSF is Robin Hood?) References: In-Reply-To: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Message-ID: Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 12:53:09 -0400 NNTP-Posting-Host: 198.96.223.163 X-Complaints-To: abuse@sympatico.ca X-Trace: news20.bellglobal.com 1061311974 198.96.223.163 (Tue, 19 Aug 2003 12:52:54 EDT) NNTP-Posting-Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 12:52:54 EDT Organization: Bell Sympatico Xref: archiver1.google.com comp.lang.ada:41725 Date: 2003-08-19T12:53:09-04:00 List-Id: 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