Microsoft/Novell

[Scott Elcomb]

On 11/7/06, ted leslie <tleslie-RBVUpeUoHUc at public.gmane.org> wrote:
> I am submitting patents now, I know something about the system, and have
> seen the pathetic things that have been patented, but in working with
> the lawyers, i got my education.

I haven't much of an education in Patents per se, but...

[...]
> I very much support patents and software patents, you have to be one
> dumb ass communist bastard not too, but they are given out to lightly
> and used as such a nasty tool in business extortion.

I am no dumb-ass communist bastard.  I agree with many of the
comments/concerns you've expressed in the past year or so, but this
one I can't.

I can accept patents on physical systems/devices, but Software Patents
I have a very difficult time with as a developer.

The project I'm working on is a web-based OS (like-thingy) - with a
significant emphasis on learning/teaching CompSci fundamentals.  If
the project ever gets big enough to attract serious attention, what
kind of danger am I/we ("the developers") in as a result of the
patents that M$ and other "Software Manufacturers" have applied for?

Why the (BLEEP) should fundamental algorythms be pattentable?

The only answer I have has been iterated by many others -- to stifle
innovation and competition.

IMO Software Patents are exceedingly dangerous.

(PS - Colin, My understanding is that CIPO has been awarding Software
Patents in Canada for a while now.  IANAL and all that, but other
Canadian FLOSS-friendly communities have been having intermittent
conversations about this for some time - ie on the CLUE and Digital
Copyright Canada mailing lists.)

-- 
Scott Elcomb
http://atomos.sourceforge.net/
http://search.cpan.org/~selcomb/SAL-3.03/
http://psema4.googlepages.com/

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