Re: Totally OT now: Was: software and IP law in NZ

[Steve Holdoway]

Christopher Sawtell wrote:
On Wed, 20 Apr 2005 18:26, Steve Holdoway wrote:
 

Christopher Sawtell wrote:
   

On Wed, 20 Apr 2005 16:25, Carl Cerecke wrote:
     

Douglas Royds wrote:
       

Carl Cerecke wrote:
         

Here is an interesting article of IP issues relating to software from
a NZ perspective.
http://www.chapmantripp.co.nz/resource_library/published_article.asp?id
= 4157
           

Note in particular that you can - according to this article - patent
both software source code and business practices in NZ. Joy.
         

So I noticed. I didn't realise software was patentable in NZ. Maybe the
article is incorrect? I don't remember seeing anything about it.
       

There was a horrendously complex 'position paper' released by them bods in
Wellington about a year ago iirc. They did the normal thing requesting
considered comment about a fortnight before the date set aside for debate
in Parliament. Thus there were no, or very few, comments. NZ was put over
the proverbial barrel, and the IP quid pro quo for the Free Trade Treaty
got stuffed up you know where. Am I surprised, no, I'm not. Our ignorant
representatives in Parliament got the wool pulled over their eyes by the
Colonial Masters of The Moment and they did as they were told.
Tragically, it happens only too often.
If I was younger I would be heading off the Europe. There is still a
remote chance that sanity might break lose there.
--
C. S.
     

Sorry Chris,
The last vote in the Euro parliament was staved off solely by the action
of those software giants, the Poles.
   

We owe the Poles a tremendous vote of gratitude.
Their cracking of the Enigma codes was vital to the eventual defeat of Germany 
by non-nuclear means. ( Yes I know Turing et al helped a lot, but the main 
thrust to the solution was Polish )

Other countries have now joined in with the No-patents side.
 

You wouldn't want to go there anyway.
   

Oh yes I would. The food is scrumptious. The countryside is populated by both 
people and wild creatures. The laws are fairly sane. There is a decent level 
of care for ordinary people. Certainly that is the case in France and Germany 
as I understand it. 

 

...and you're replying to someone who was born in a country that's been 
at war with the French for over 1000 years? Also, how well to you speak 
French/German. You really won't be able to get by without it. The 
Netherlands, maybe, as they all speak English as well, but do you really 
want to live in a country about the size of Canterbury, but with 
12,000,000+ inhabitants ( and even more pigs )?


Most of them drive on the wrong side of the road for a start (:
   

So? It only takes a moment or two to get used to that. The good thing about 
the roads in Europe is that there is none of that idiotic and dangerous 
"always give way to the right" rule. They are good enough to allow you to 
travel more or less, and within reason, as fast as you want.
 

No. It doesn't. Trust me. I spent 10 years working on Mainland europe. 
And if you don't give way to the right ( where there are no lines on the 
road telling you not to ), then you're going to need a very good 
insurance package, 'cos you're in the wrong. And even the Germans are 
talking about bringing in blanket speed limits over the autobahns ( to 
approximately quote Clarkson 'what's the point of Germany then?' ). Max 
speed limits that I can remember: Norway 110, Sweden 120, France 130, 
Belguim 120, Netherlands 120, Denmark 120, UK 70 ( = 115 ). What's the 
difference?

--
C. S.
 

I think think this is a serious case of the grass being greener. Just 
look at the number of people migrating here.

Including this extremely gratful one.
Steve