On 12/29/05, Lauri Hyvärinen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > So the bottom line is all of you guys that hate patents are really doing > > the bidding of the huge multinational companies that hate them way > > more than you do. You should all get checks from Microsoft. > > There's a problem either in your or Microsoft's logic. Why has the EU's > software > patent directive been supported by large companies such as Microsoft, IBM, > Nokia, SAP and Siemens: > http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1834392,00.asp > > Hank, this discussion is going way too off-topic. So much that I'd say you are > trolling.
I dont know what "trolling" means in this context. Are you accusing me of being a ringer? Someone secretly sent here to whip up debate? I am not. I am an active member of this list. I just happen to also be a software developer and inventor who believes that patents are a very powerful tool in my entrepreneurial toolkit. Your arguments about the greatness of the software patent system are > not new. I dont think the system is great. I just have three points. 1. I have written lots of software and have never been sued over a patent. But I have made money from patents. 2. The legal system sucks. Its slow and expensive. I just dont believe that getting rid of things that, protect me and my inventions, is a good thing. If you are a fairly creative software inventor then patents can be good for you too. 3. I would be shocked if I had, here in this forum, laid out some novel perspectives in jurisprudence. Nevertheless, these forums are usually filled with people complaining about patents without anyone ever taking the other side. This is particularly important since patent law, if used properly, is likely a great benefit to some of the members of this group. For the small set of creative people that think they have some novel idea that could make money, hearing what I am saying could be quite valuable. So forgive me, but I actually believe this thread might even be useful to some of the listeners. If you care to read some counter arguments from sites opposing software > patents, you'll find most of your arguments being successfully countered: > http://www.google.fi/search?hl=fi&q=software+patents > I know all the arguments. But for me, as a little guy, patents have been only good. And I dont think I am unique. > Those sites should also offer multiple mailing lists for you to make your > opinions heard. I did not raise this issue to argue with other people that already argue incessantly about this issue. In fact, I think I have said everything that I need to say. My goal here has been, in the face of a one-sided perspective, to provide the other side, to people who are almost certainly unaware of all the issues, but are used to hearing how bad patents are. > > Wikipedia has a nice collection of arguments for and against software patents: > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_patent_debate > I have indeed read useful stuff on wikipedia about this issue. Regards, Hank _______________________________________________ osflash mailing list [email protected] http://osflash.org/mailman/listinfo/osflash_osflash.org
