On Mon, 24 Mar 2003, Karsten Hilbert wrote: > Can we put an end to this old thing ? Now ?
Karsten, I agree that the problem has been around for a while - however, we are still looking for a workable solution. When we have a workable solution, then it will become a waste of everyone's time to discuss alternative solutions. > > We are trying to do the same for patents. The tool that I am proposing > > is a patent pool. > You ? > > http://www.linuxworld.com/linuxworld/lw-2000-03/lw-03-rms_p.html Thanks for the reference. Others have proposed patent pools - but they have not worked. See below for an excerpt (from above) of why RMS thinks patent pools have not worked: ------ begin quote LinuxWorld: It's been suggested that free software programmers could create a patent pool to do exactly that kind of cross-licensing for free software. Richard M. Stallman: ... The problem is in getting it started, because the bigger the pool is, the more beneficial it is to join. So the smaller it is, the less reason there is to join. Nobody has ever been able to get one started. ... LinuxWorld: Has a patent pool ever gotten off the ground, as a thing that people can join? Richard M. Stallman: Nobody has ever formally started a patent pool. I guess nobody has seen it was useful to go through that work without having people who were going to join it. Other problems are that it costs a lot of money to get a patent -- many thousands of dollars, sometimes tens of thousands. So free software developers can think about the idea [of obtaining many patents for contribution to a pool or for cross-licensing], but to actually do it is not easy. ---------------------- end quote So, here I am - a free software developer who also has a patent - maybe I can get a pool started? I think it is worthwhile trying. Best regards, Andrew --- Andrew P. Ho, M.D. OIO: Open Infrastructure for Outcomes www.TxOutcome.Org
