Patents Have Become The Nuclear Stockpiling Of The Software Industry

Grok Headline matches for Patents Have Become The Nuclear Stockpiling Of The Software Industry

Software patents are bad for coders like
literary patents would be for writers

Software patents are bad for coders like
literary patents would be for writers 06/22/2005 01:49 AM
Cory Doctorow: Richard Stallman, creator of the Free Software movement, has written a tremendous essay for the Guardian on the risks of software patents. Richard undertakes a gedankenexperiment about "literary patents" and the impact they would have had on Victor Hugo as he sat down to pen Les Miserables.

Now consider this hypothetical literary patent: Claim 1: a communication process that represents, in the mind of a reader, the concept of a character who has been in jail for a long time and subsequently changes his name...

These patents would all cover the story of one character in a novel. They overlap, but they do not precisely duplicate each other, so they could all be valid simultaneously - all the patent holders could have sued Victor Hugo. Any one of them could have prohibited publication of Les Misérables.

You might think these ideas are so simple that no patent office would have issued them. We programmers are often amazed by the simplicity of the ideas that real software patents cover - for instance, the European Patent Office has issued a patent on the progress bar, and one on accepting payment via credit cards. These would be laughable if they were not so dangerous.

Link (Thanks, Phil and Eloisa!)

Altnet Sues Record Industry Over File
Hash Patents

Altnet Sues Record Industry Over File
Hash Patents 09/09/2004 10:51 AM

TiVo buys patents from IBM; company
increases intellectual property in the
television industry

TiVo buys patents from IBM; company
increases intellectual property in the
television industry 04/14/2005 02:29 AM
NewsTarget Apr 14 2005 6:39AM GMT

Print Manager Plus Wins W2KNews Top
Award for Best Print Management
Software, Best Price, Best Quality in
the Industry American-British Company
Software Shelf Receives Software Award

Print Manager Plus Wins W2KNews Top
Award for Best Print Management
Software, Best Price, Best Quality in
the Industry American-British Company
Software Shelf Receives Software Award 05/31/2004 02:14 PM
Software Shelf International, Inc., an American and British software development and marketing company today announced that its flagship product, Print Manager Plus(R), has won the coveted Sunbelt W2KNews Top Award for Print Management Software. The award is presented at Microsoft's Tech.Ed 2004 for Best print management software, Best price, and Best quality in the industry. The Award was won as a result of voting from over 500,000 W2K News subscribers consisting of Windows NT/2000/2003 Administrators, MIS Managers, MCPs, MCSEs and IT professionals around the world. Print Manager Plus solves the problem of the hidden cost of printing in organizations. According to Datamation document costs consume up to 15% of a company's revenues. Print Manager Plus reduces these costs. [PRWEB May 26, 2004]

No EU Software Patents

No EU Software Patents 12/17/2004 06:33 PM

Munich, Germany (23 November 2004). The three most famous European authors of open-source software have issued an appeal against software patents on NoSoftwarePatents.com. Linus Torvalds (Linux), Michael Widenius (MySQL) and Rasmus Lerdorf (PHP) urge the EU Council, which will convene later in the week, not to adopt a draft directive on software patents that they consider "deceptive, dangerous, and democratically illegitimate". They also call on the Internet community to express solidarity by placing NoSoftwarePatents.com links and banners on many Web sites.

It would be nice if someone with some serious design credentials would knock up some more aesthetically pleasing banners.

Software Patents Out, For Now

Software Patents Out, For Now 02/05/2005 09:46 PM
Patent legislation is one step further away from being passed in the European Union today. The Legal "Affairs Committee (JURI) said that the commission should re-submit the controversial directive. The Computer Implemented Inventions Directive" failed to receive backing from the government's elected MEP's.

The <a href="http://www.ffii.org/index.orig.en.html">FFII</a& gt;, a EU pressure group, described the decision as "a powerful statement from MEPs that the current Council text, and the logjam of concern it has caused, is simply not a sustainable way forward." FFII board member Jonas Maebe went on to say "The Commissioner can jumpstart the constructive dialogue by submitting a new and more balanced proposal to the European Parliament this time. By taking into account the countless new facts that have surfaced since the start of this procedure in 2002, the Commission has a great opportunity to reinvigorate the Lisbon strategy."

Poland had previously blocked the directive from coming in to being. It's opposed by groups who want to keep the EU free of copyrights on software, something common to the USA. They argue that rather than helping businesses protect their intellectual property, they act to stifle innovation. Supporters of the directive argue that EU legislation on copyrights is out dated and needs bringing into line with the US system.

The road ahead is un-clear; the commission has a variety of options that it can pursue. The most likely outcome with be a re-evaluation in a few months time. Critics of the directive say the extra time will allow countries more debate over the issue and give them another chance to fully assess its implications.

View: Previous coverage | FFII

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AURIGA Presented Russian Software
Outsourcing Industry at the
Massachusetts Software Council Spring
Meeting Featuring Mikhail Gorbachev
Keynote

AURIGA Presented Russian Software
Outsourcing Industry at the
Massachusetts Software Council Spring
Meeting Featuring Mikhail Gorbachev
Keynote 04/15/2005 04:30 AM
AURIGA, one of the world’s leading software services firms with engineering centers in Russia, is proudly announcing its sponsorship of the outstanding event in Boston, April 12, 2005. Mikhail Gorbachev, Former Soviet Union President, and Nobel Laureate gave a keynote presentation. [PRWEB Apr 15, 2005]

EU Moves Toward Software Patents

EU Moves Toward Software Patents 05/07/2004 08:29 PM

EU software patents: how the vote was
won

EU software patents: how the vote was
won 05/19/2004 05:53 AM
No hanging chads, but still a close call

U.S. to EU on software patents: "We sold
out, you should too"

U.S. to EU on software patents: "We sold
out, you should too" 06/09/2004 10:26 AM
European free software advocates, Green Party activists, Socialists, economists, small business owners, and other radicals are working to keep the European Union from instituting U.S.-style software patents. But don't give up hope. The U.S. government and some of the biggest U.S. software vendors are working to bring those backward Europeans into the modern world, where software development can eventually be limited to responsible companies instead of being done by any-old-body with a computer and a good idea.

RMS On How To Fight Software Patents

RMS On How To Fight Software Patents 09/11/2004 06:37 PM

Software Patents Off The Agenda In The
EU

Software Patents Off The Agenda In The
EU 12/22/2004 01:16 AM
This isn't a huge surprise given events of the last month, but the question of software patents has been removed from the agenda of the latest EU Council meeting, at the request of the Polish representative. It sounds like, hopefully, this issue is dying out in the EU, though, it's likely that supporters will keep pushing for it next year.

"Software patents under attack"

"Software patents under attack" 07/05/2004 02:40 PM

Software patents under attack

Software patents under attack 07/05/2004 06:25 AM
EFF goes after ten most wanted

EU software patents directive delayed -
again

EU software patents directive delayed -
again 09/24/2004 05:47 AM
Less action, more talk

NewsForge On U.S. Advice To EU On
Software Patents

NewsForge On U.S. Advice To EU On
Software Patents 06/09/2004 05:40 PM

An Insider's View of Software Patents

An Insider's View of Software Patents 08/01/2004 08:02 PM

Demonstration Against Software Patents
in Europe

Demonstration Against Software Patents
in Europe 04/10/2004 01:56 PM

Maybe Software Patents Won't Kill FOSS
After All

Maybe Software Patents Won't Kill FOSS
After All 07/26/2004 09:22 PM

EU gives green light to software patents

EU gives green light to software patents 03/14/2005 04:52 PM
Without a clear mandate from its members, and in the face of outright opposition from a few of them, the EU finally acts in the US software industry's best interests and pushes forward software patents.

How to fight software patents - singly
and together

How to fight software patents - singly
and together 09/09/2004 12:21 PM
Software patents are the software project equivalent of land mines: Each design decision carries a risk of stepping on a patent, which can destroy your project.

EU Software Patents Directive Delayed
Once More

EU Software Patents Directive Delayed
Once More 09/24/2004 04:17 PM
A controversial software directive in the EU has been delayed once more. Daniel Cohn-Bendit, co-president of the Greens/EFA Group, told ElectricNews that "Officially, the council has experienced translation difficulties with the new official languages of the EU. In reality this file is returning to Coreper in order to allow the technical discussions between experts from the member states to continue."

The patent directive, part of the Lisbon agenda, was initially intended to form part of a frame work to make the EU the most competitive economic zone in the world by 2010. Intended to "tidy up" the EU's messy patent laws, the directive has became twisted from its original form. In its previous state, it would have allowed patenting of software and algorithms. Proponents of the directive argue that this is necessary to protect both big and small companies from competitors stealing their IP.

However, many others argue that the directive would stifle competition and cause more problems than it solved. If allowed/enacted, the directive would bring the EU into line with the US where the practise has caused dismay amongst software developers. Amazon's patenting of "one-click" buying is often cited as a good example of why the legislation is a bad idea.

View: More @ ElectricNews

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Battle brews over Web software patents

Battle brews over Web software patents 01/27/2003 11:05 PM
International Herald Tribune Jan 27 2003 9:31PM ET

EU Ministers Approve Software Patents

EU Ministers Approve Software Patents 05/18/2004 04:12 PM
In a move that is likely to cause a lot more harm than good, the European Council has approved a dreadful plan to allow for software patents. The language of the plan has apparently removed an amendment that would have made the idea more palatable to open source supporters. ZDNet UK has more details. It's not a done deal yet, as it still needs to be voted on by the European Parliament - but it will be much more difficult to change the policy now. This is, once again, a case of people making political decisions rather than ones that will generally help the economy. Software patents will only tie up the patent and legal system and will do plenty to slow down innovation, rather than speed it up. Being able to invent something and being able to successfully sell it to the market are two completely different things. By saying that only those who invent a concept are allowed to sell it to the market, they are slowing down the ability for companies to successfully get new, useful products to market. With software patents, this is especially troublesome because it's very difficult to determine what in the software is actually patentable and very broad concepts that should never be locked up under a government granted monopoly end up that way.

Software patents and rebel MEPs

Software patents and rebel MEPs 06/08/2004 06:04 AM
Letters Voting record doesn't follow party line

Patents Harming Software Innovation

Patents Harming Software Innovation 09/02/2004 11:47 AM
It appears that there's a common theme emerging from those who understand how the patent system works. Lots of people have said it before, but here's yet another opinion piece explaining how software patents are killing innovation, by making it nearly impossible to build any new software product, without a huge liability risk. It points out, again, that true innovation isn't in coming up with the idea, but the application of the idea. Limiting the application to a single company that claims they got their first kills off many creative approaches to innovation, slowing down innovation and harming the overall economy. What's scary is that, for all the talk explaining this problem, almost nothing is actually being done to reform the patent system in the right direction.

Creative Pressures id Software With
Patents

Creative Pressures id Software With
Patents 07/28/2004 11:26 AM

Software patents 'threaten Linux'

Software patents 'threaten Linux' 01/23/2004 02:19 PM
Open source advocate Bruce Perens says the real threat to Linux is not from SCO, but from software patents.

Germany to Vote Against Software Patents
in the EU

Germany to Vote Against Software Patents
in the EU 05/16/2004 02:22 AM

More on the Microsoft v. EU Decision on
Software Patents

More on the Microsoft v. EU Decision on
Software Patents 12/24/2004 12:35 PM

PwC: software patents threat to Europe

PwC: software patents threat to Europe 09/15/2004 05:53 AM
Few prepared for consequences

UK firm patents software downloads

UK firm patents software downloads 06/16/2004 03:56 AM
BTG in talks 'with several firms'

Banning software patents: a call to
action

Banning software patents: a call to
action 12/11/2003 03:52 AM
For the past nine months, much of the attention of the IT world has been drawn to the SCO v. IBM case. Having started out as a case about breach of contract, it is now about all three key areas of intellectual property law: copyright law (was code illegally copied from Unix into Linux?), patent law (did SCO violate IBM's patents?), and trademark law (who owns 'UNIX'?).

Report Says Patents Threaten Software
Innovation

Report Says Patents Threaten Software
Innovation 09/23/2004 08:44 AM

European Council Approves Software
Patents

European Council Approves Software
Patents 05/18/2004 04:36 PM

Blocking Foolish European Software
Patents

Blocking Foolish European Software
Patents 08/15/2004 01:42 PM

Jack Schofield (Guardian): W e won't kill you unless we have to. The issue is software patents. America has them, and Europe could get more of them - unless the German, British, French and other governments wake up to the stupidity of what they are trying to do.

Free software guru speaks on patents

Free software guru speaks on patents 05/25/2004 10:00 AM
End of world is nigh, warns Richard Stallman

US Exports DMCA, Software Patents To
Australia

US Exports DMCA, Software Patents To
Australia 08/03/2004 02:17 PM
While most of the press is focused on other aspects of the free trade agreement between the US and Australia, the tech world is noticing that this agreement exports plenty of the bad aspects of US intellectual property law, including software patents and DMCA-like anti-circumvention clauses. It's amusing that the talk about the bill from President Bush includes claims about "reducing restrictions" when the intellectual property parts of the bill are clearly building up restrictions and barriers to innovation. Of course, since it's such a big bill including all sorts of trade issues, most politicians are more focused on other complaints, which is why these innovation harming parts will mostly slip by unnoticed.

Why Software Patents Exist: Legal Fees

Why Software Patents Exist: Legal Fees 08/02/2004 04:42 AM
John has submitted this somewhat disturbing, if not at all surprising, "anonymous insider's account" of a software company that is ramping up their patent efforts, after another company beat them in a lawsuit over patents, and the company began to realize just how valuable patents were in that sense -- if not actually for the purpose of innovation. The clear point is that patents do little to help innovation, often do quite a bit to harm innovation, but do keep the lawyers quite happy. Software engineers are told to come up with just about anything that might possibly be patentable, and the engineer in question does so -- coming up with nearly 20 patents in a matter of days. The engineer admits that all would be pretty obvious to any "competent worker in our field," but all were gleefully accepted by the lawyers. The engineer points out that these patents alone likely created over a $1 million worth of legal expenses -- money that is not being spent on actual research and development any more. Despite the fact that the "any competent worker" point should make these patents completely invalid the lawyers actively point out that the patent examiners aren't smart enough to know any better: "Look, if the examiners were any good they'd be in industry, so you don't have too much to worry about." Meanwhile, the engineer notes that all of the innovation in the industry seems to be coming from areas where there are no patents. It is just an anecdotal story, but, it's one that seems to be getting repeated an awful lot in the software industry. If the entire point of the patent system is to promote innovation, and time and time against the opposite has been shown to be true, why isn't anyone reforming the patent system (and, even worse, why are other countries making their patent systems more like ours)?
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Patents Have Become The Nuclear Stockpiling Of The Software Industry

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