Not exactly... what if you don't have patents, but copyright is still enforced?
You still can't just release somebody else's work as your own. 2010/9/9 Cédric Beust ♔ <[email protected]> > > > On Thu, Sep 9, 2010 at 4:38 AM, B Smith-Mannschott > <[email protected]>wrote: > >> Just a thought that came to me listening to the most recent podcast, when >> Joe was once again explaining that the reason patents are important is >> because they encourage innovation. > > > Glad to see I'm not alone in seeing this debate in a more nuanced way than > most people :-) > > >> Consider the following hypothetical: >> >> - I've been sitting on a juicy software patent (e.g. for placing vertical >> banner ads on web pages to exploit a bug in the human visual system to >> better sell my product.) for five years. >> - In the interim, ten other companies have independently come to the same >> conclusion and use this technique. >> - Now I sue them, claiming patent infringement. >> >> But, seeing how ten other companies were willing to 'invent' this without >> patenting it, what does that say about the utility of the patent grant in >> encouraging this particular innovation? Can anyone honestly argue that this >> invention would never have been made but for the promise of a monopoly >> granted through the patent system? >> > > Software patents encourage innovation in a different way. > > If you live in a country that doesn't let you patent software, you can > start a company, copy whatever you want and release it as your own. > > In countries where software patents are enforced, you can't get away with > it that easily: you have to actually come up with ideas that haven't already > been patented and it forces you to be creative. > > -- > Cédric > > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "The Java Posse" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]<javaposse%[email protected]> > . > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/javaposse?hl=en. > -- Kevin Wright mail / gtalk / msn : [email protected] pulse / skype: kev.lee.wright twitter: @thecoda -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Java Posse" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/javaposse?hl=en.
