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=-2.9 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,MAILING_LIST_MULTI autolearn=unavailable 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 08:07:16 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!news1.google.com!newsfeed.stanford.edu!news-spur1.maxwell.syr.edu!news.maxwell.syr.edu!newsfeed.icl.net!newsfeed.fjserv.net!proxad.net!teaser.fr!enst.fr!not-for-mail From: "Robert C. Leif" Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: RE: Software Patent Concerns => New Black Markets? Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 08:06:37 -0700 Organization: ENST, France Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: marvin.enst.fr Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Trace: avanie.enst.fr 1061305634 43253 137.194.161.2 (19 Aug 2003 15:07:14 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@enst.fr NNTP-Posting-Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 15:07:14 +0000 (UTC) To: "'Preben Randhol'" , Return-Path: X-Envelope-From: rleif@rleif.com X-Mailer: Microsoft Office Outlook, Build 11.0.5329 In-Reply-To: Thread-Index: AcNmXA/0CV8YfeS0Q/C2oA7CvUZcZwAAcvtQ X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1165 X-BeenThere: comp.lang.ada@ada.eu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.2 Precedence: list List-Id: comp.lang.ada mail to news gateway List-Unsubscribe: , List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Xref: archiver1.google.com comp.lang.ada:41721 Date: 2003-08-19T08:06:37-07:00 Benjamin Franklin, one of the wisest founders of the US, was supported by his patents and probably was instrumental in including the patent and copyright section in our constitution. Frankly, patents are absolutely essential for technological progress. They provide the motivation for investment. Although the US Government has funded my work on developing new technologies to detect cancer cells, it is the collection of patents that I have created, which will be the next source of funding. Unfortunately, the US Government's performance in protecting its citizens' intellectual property in other countries has ranged for poor to pitiful. Since Ada posses the technology to create software components, a method to rigorously protect this type of intellectual property would greatly favor the use of Ada. However, we should now end this argument, since both sides can read the words of excellent advocates for their opinions. http://www.cio.com/archive/080103/debate_intro.html Bob Leif Robert C. Leif, Ph.D. Email rleif@rleif.com -----Original Message----- From: Preben Randhol [mailto:randhol+abuse@pvv.org] Sent: Monday, August 18, 2003 11:58 PM To: comp.lang.ada@ada.eu.org Subject: Re: Software Patent Concerns => New Black Markets? Hyman Rosen wrote: > Robert C. Leif wrote: >> Why do you want a system that discriminates against software inventors? > > We don't. We want to discriminate against inventors in general. > > The patent system is a devil's bargain at the best of times, because > it drastically limits freedom of expression. It makes sense for some > cases where the costs of invention are high, the reproducibility is > cheap, and the invention is useless unless marketed. Developing new > drugs is such a thing - a drug company has no use for drugs except to > sell them; it itself isn't sick. Developing software usually fails the > third test, because much software is written to be used, not sold. > Ditto for business processes; Amazon developed one-click to enhance the > utility of its web shopping site. But also that many of the patents are very banal and that malignant companies are trying to get patents to steal money. Patents were suppose to work so that a company that invest a lot of money into making a technology could get this money back and make a decent earning by being protected by the patent until it expires. However making the click system at Amazon could hardly have taken much brain cycles nor coding. It is therefore more an obstacle you place in the middle of the road and hope the competition cannot get around than anything else. What about the effort by a company which name slipped my mind to copyright the hyperlinking "technology"? I consider this as trying to patent the use of a fork to eat dinner. -- - The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy (radioplay)