|
|
|
| Authored by: Anonymous on Monday, June 11 2012 @ 01:21 PM EDT |
Full disclosure, required for issuance of a patent, requires disclosure of
source code, which is the equivalent of blueprints; this is the "patent
bargain".
It also requires that those blueprints / source code be freely reproduceable,
searchable, readable by everyone. Otherwise the "patent bargain" is
violated.
Therefore nobody distributing software is ever violating a patent; they're just
assisting the patent holder in disclosing the patent.[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]
|
| |
| Authored by: Anonymous on Monday, June 11 2012 @ 02:39 PM EDT |
I'm pretty harsh on you up above, because you don't seem to understand that
software genuinely is mathematics, which is crucial to understanding the most
fundamental problems with software patents.
The use of software (unpatentable per se, abstract math) for a practical
application is patentable... unless the combination is obvious, and when you're
just running it on a general purpose computer it IS obvious because it was
suggested by the inventors of the general purpose computer.
You do seem to understand several of the later problems in the list, though.[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]
|
| |
| Authored by: Anonymous on Monday, June 11 2012 @ 03:04 PM EDT |
This is a very consise list of the problems with software patents. Not
necessarily an exclusive list, but for sure it hits the high points.[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]
|
| |
| Authored by: Wol on Monday, June 11 2012 @ 05:54 PM EDT |
And inside pharmaceuticals, patents harm industry, or at least R&D and
patients.
One only has to look at where the bulk of pharmaceutical R&D is spent - on
seeking to extend the life of patented products!
The real harm is caused by the long delay in bringing pharmacological material
to market, caused by FDA regulation and tests etc etc. And given all the horror
stories we hear about selective publication, it seems even that testing is
fatally flawed ...
Surely it's not beyond the wit of man to devise a system that can bring new
drugs to the market quickly. Unfortunately, it does seem beyond the wit of man
to stop marketing people selling snake-oil if they see the prospect of a quick
buck.
Cheers,
Wol[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]
|
|
|
|
|
