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Exclusive rights to stagnate (Financial Times)

[Posted February 25, 2003 by corbet]

The Financial Times is carrying an article by Lawrence Lessig warning against the adoption of software patents in Europe. "Rather than copying a failed American policy, the Europeans could be exploring alternatives to patents that might provide protection without sinking the intended beneficiaries. No doctor would approve an untested drug for his or her patient. Nor should Europe inflict such a remedy on its already weakened software industry."

(Log in to post comments)

Where to look for up2date info?

Posted Feb 25, 2003 17:07 UTC (Tue) by coriordan (guest, #7544) [Link]

A decission on patent law is coming closer and closer but people
still don't know much about it. Last week there was a
meeting of the ITRE in the EU (Industry, Trade, Research, and
Econony). They voted on something software patent related,
I think they were just drafting an opinion though.

My point is, it's very hard to find out when votes and
discussions are happening. I contacted the two Irish
members of the ITRE but I didn't have much time to find
out what I was mailing them about.

Does anyone know how to stay informed on processes like
this one?

Ciaran O'Riordan

P.S. I'm already on the 'discussion' and 'announce' lists
of the FSF-europe.

Untested?

Posted Feb 25, 2003 18:57 UTC (Tue) by rknop (guest, #66) [Link]

Untested? I wouldn't call it an untested drug. I'd call it a drug which has been amply tested and has been shown to have fatal side effects.

This isn't a matter of experimenting with a patient's life. It's a matter of killing the patient in order to satisfy some perverse private interest somewhere else.

-Rob

Exclusive rights to stagnate (Financial Times)

Posted Feb 25, 2003 20:37 UTC (Tue) by ronaldcole (guest, #1462) [Link]

Nice article. I suppose that those who want to convert their copyrights into "Intellectual Property" aren't truly aware that property rights are the least protected rights of all. I can envision a day when there is a government body that will serve to "condemn" "blighted" IP (under it's right of eminent domain) and sell it to a "redeveloper" to "improve" the IP. That government body will be supported by fees paid by rich and powerful companies, who covet their competitor's "Intellectual Property".

Exclusive rights to stagnate (Financial Times)

Posted Feb 28, 2003 16:29 UTC (Fri) by Odinson (guest, #1402) [Link]

The US has a choice. The consquences will we far reaching.

1: Make Copyright and Patent law more fair to inventors artists and citizens.

2: Lose all international sales, when a large group of industrial countries strike a fair deal with their citizens and each other, that ignores the US.

Why does the indutrial world tolerate our refusal to give monetary rights to dumb or old IP up. Cetainly we won't go to war over Mickey Mouse or one click patents. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain by ignoring our dumber policies and allowing their own companies to profit freely from these ideas.

You can't win a game by too much or everyone else stops playing.

Sooner or later a EU underdog candidate will figure it out the "Look free money at Americas's expense", is an easy sell.