Topic: The patenting of software is a complete mess and discourages innovation
Snuckles
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 2764
posted 08 January 2004 05:06 PM
quote:Software patents are, in fact, a live issue at the moment, though mostly invisible to the vast majority of people. The problem is that there's a lot of good sense talked on both sides, both pro- and anti- the patenting of processes done by computer.
posted 08 January 2004 08:45 PM
I love telling the story of how Microsoft rooked a bunch of people by convincing the morons at the US Patent Office (that don't seem to understand the first thing about computers and who appear to be far too easily bamboozled by lawyerspeak in a patent application, incidentally) that they had actually invented the "first" mechanical mouse and therefore had prior right to the patent, and thus made *APPLE* of all companies have to pay royalties on a device that had been standard issue hardware with the Lisa and Macintosh lines since 1979!
And then to really get people going I mention the ridiculous look and feel lawsuit wherein, I believe, Lotus sued Visicalc over the layout of a spreadsheet.
Sadly, judges can get conned on these "look and feel" lawsuits into giving one company monopoly rights over software interface fundamentals.
[ 08 January 2004: Message edited by: DrConway ]
From: You shall not side with the great against the powerless. | Registered: May 2001
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posted 08 January 2004 05:06 PM
