wow! politics from an italian...hmmm, and a capitalist that doesn't believe in corporations??
I guess it's the weekend :) I'm off to count some money :-$ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Andrew C. Oliver" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, January 19, 2002 6:43 AM Subject: Re: [definitely OT] LZW patent [was Re: MathML package structure?] > > > > > > > I dunno. Personally I agree with the author of this page, that it > > > equates to a theorem and I don't think that mathematical laws should be > > > patentable. At the very least I think the patents run for way too > > > long. US Patent laws were base on the idea that you'd have to build a > > > big factory and ramp up for production in order to profit from an > > > invention or sell it to someone who can. This isn't necessarily the > > > case for software. > > > > Oh, here I totally agree! Two years should be plenty to get enough > > visibility to become big and healthy enough, without stopping everybody > > else. > > > > I guess I can buy that, enough to get compensated. Which if it was > worth patenting anyhow shouldn't take so long. > > > > Next, a 6-12 months cycle can be a lifetime in > > > software, let alone several years. I'm a bit leftist on software > > > patents. I think they stifle innovation. I think progress is a > > > community effort. We'll have to agree to disagree on the idea of > > > software patents. > > > > I think that protection of intellectual property is not a bad thing, per > > se. The concept that 'information wants to be free' is screwed: for the > > first time in the history of mankind, the marginal cost of copying > > information is *zero*, not 'low' or 'low for big numbers' but *zero*. > > This changes the picture a lot (see napster and friends), but doesn't > > mean that people shouldn't be rewarded for the brainwork they did. > > > > note that *rewarded* doesn't mean 25$ per CD or 3% of your software > > revenue per 15 years! > > > > +1. The trouble is protecting the little guy from the Microsoft and > Suns of the world, but I believe oneupmanship and competition is the way > to do this. Supposing we were competitors, you come up with an idea, I > build on it and improve it. You build on my idea and improve it. This > kind of competition causes rapid innovation. Once again the trouble is > protecting the little guy from the sharks who can control his access to > the marketplace. In the US we don't do this very well anymore. > > > I give away my software and my patents (yes, a few things in Cocoon > > could be patentable) but I get *rewarded* with respect, fun, knowledge, > > vibility, better code and new ideas. > > > > yup thats why I started POI. The jobs I get paid for are boring work. > > > And most of these things you can't even buy with money! > > > > the people must understand that 'reward != money'... interesting enough, > > europeans seem to appreciate this disequation much more than > > americans... probably because wellfare give europeans benefits without > > always having to pass thru money exchanges. > > > > Hehe, yes someone jokingly told me I couldn't work on Jakarta because I > wasn't European or from Sun. :-) > > I've found Europe is a lot more laid back then the US. People here have > bought into the "Corporate culture." Its kinda scary. > > Of course Europe tends to be very socialist and Socialism gives me a > nasty rash. (get a job you bum...oh wait...I don't have one either) > > I'm a capitalist but an anti-corporatist (before too long 3 companies > will rule the world) > > > ah, well, getting too off topic, I guess :) > > > > > Lastly, from a practical standpoint -- it would be very difficult to > > > apply them intelligently as you suggest. Maybe as the economy melts > > > down, it will get easier. The truth of the matter is what software guy > > > who is general enough to understand all of the different kinds of > > > software patent submissions he gets in and yet smart enough to be able > > > to understand the more complicated ones would want this kind of boring, > > > thankless, probably low paying job? I'd hate to be the guy/gal that > > > staffs that office. > > > > Yes, but I'd love to be part of an open and meritocratic community of > > 'patent rejection'. Wound't you? > > > > And work in a government building in DC. No way. (having nothing to do > with the possibility of 747s landing on your head). I've worked in a > government building before. Its kinda like being in jail. Secondly, > spending all day reading patents would make me nauseous. :-) > > > -Andy > -- > www.superlinksoftware.com > www.sourceforge.net/projects/poi - port of Excel format to java > http://developer.java.sun.com/developer/bugParade/bugs/4487555.html > - fix java generics! > > > The avalanche has already started. It is too late for the pebbles to > vote. > -Ambassador Kosh > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > For additional commands, email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
