m$ as Big Brother

[Joshua Zeidner]

> Well said.  The bottom line is that the patent system (not to mention
> Copyright) is broken -- no doubt the founding fathers would have a fit over
> how it's being applied today.

  No doubt our founding fathers would have a fit over many things that
have happened since Columbus 'discovered' America( e.g. Federal
Banking ).

>  I don't hear anyone arguing that it is working
> as intended. Frankly, I'm pretty sure I can't write a single line of code
> without violating someone's patents -- yet more laws we have to ignore to live
> reasonably.

  Software patents were explicitly prohibited until relatively
recently.  Shows you how quickly lobbying efforts can erode the
concepts on which justice relies.

>
> Sadly, there's no outrage from our the citizens of the US to their
> representatives so that something would get done.  I guess they're too worried
> about a women wound up dead in FL or some other silliness....

   The patent system is changing btw... some have discussed changing
the legal structure to shift liabilities on the filing entity, so if
you do file for a obvious or redundant patent, you may be liable for a
fine or other penalty.  In my view, however, this will make patents
even less accessible for individuals.  At one point I was fiercely
opposed to patents, but if we hope to 'foster the arts' you need some
level of ownership and province.

   I don't want to sound like a broken record, as I wrote a rather
long post on NYLUG about this.  Please check out Bruce Perens, he has
done a lot of work in Patent criticism, and he deserves recognition
for it.  Also thanks to Joseph Sinclair for the lucid comments.


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