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Patents - An Alternative View (Groklaw)

Posted Oct 11, 2004 20:02 UTC (Mon) by hppnq (guest, #14462)
In reply to: Patents - An Alternative View (Groklaw) by JoeBuck
Parent article: Patents - An Alternative View (Groklaw)

The point is -- and I think it is very well made -- that we do not want to get rid of patents altogether. A software patent in itself is, or should be, quite harmless. It's the big companies that abuse the system, as well as the ignorant or corrupt politicians that allow it, that are the ones that put Free Software at jeopardy.

So, yes, we should be very vocal about our concerns regarding the proposals made by the European Commission, but we should focus on reforming the system -- not discarding it.

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Posted Oct 11, 2004 22:00 UTC (Mon) by job (guest, #670) [Link]

I disagree. Software patents is nothing but abuse of the concept with patents. Please see my reply below.

Patents - An Alternative View (Groklaw)

Posted Oct 12, 2004 12:33 UTC (Tue) by cpm (guest, #3554) [Link]

Well, "We" may not want to, but "I" sure want to.

There wasn't anything left of the US patent system after
the rule changes.

Reform, as in form it again, yes. Reform as in working within
the patent system as it is, is a total waste of time.

Patents - An Alternative View (Groklaw)

Posted Oct 12, 2004 13:38 UTC (Tue) by hppnq (guest, #14462) [Link]

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to speak for you -- of course you are free to feel differently. I meant to say that the author expresses the idea that software patents are not necessarily an evil thing that has to be rooted out at all cost.

And yes, I do mean reform using a sledgehammer.