Peter P. Jones wrote:
> Yes, I did read that bit, folks.
> But if they start releasing patents at the same rate they notch them up,
> then everything will be Ok.
> When was the last time a blue chip company released any patents? (01)
Peter, (02)
I think the point is that industry insiders view the whole thing
as merely a propaganda ploy. I'm certain IBM won't be releasing
patents on things that their lawyers consider truly significant
to IBM's bottom line. This whole thing seems like a move on trying
to shake up the EU's stance on software patents. If IBM and other
large corporations can force the EU's hand on this, they'll have
almost a complete lock on innovation, where anyone who develops
anything could be kept from releasing it by being held up in
court. For example, if *any* part of Ceryle could be considered
an infringement of any software patent, the holder could file an
injunction against release of the software. What could I do? Even
if I was right, I couldn't afford to fight it. Nor could many
small companies. That's increasingly what's happening in the US.
We don't want that here. (03)
I'm certain this is just a tactical manoeuver in a larger strategy,
and that we're not in any real sense seeing any diminishing of the
overall threat to intellectual freedom. Copyrights and patents were
not meant to be used as weapons, but in the past weapons they're
being increasingly used as such. I don't think IBM is truly doing
anyone any favours here. Why would they? It's not like they're some
sort of philanthropic organization -- they have a bottom line, and
they have investors. They also have a history, and I trust history
more than I trust what looks like a rather shallow, one time gesture. (04)
When you see Microsoft willingly open up their source code to
Windows you'll see the beginnings of a sea change in the industry.
Not until then. (05)
Murray (06)
......................................................................
Murray Altheim http://kmi.open.ac.uk/people/murray/
Knowledge Media Institute
The Open University, Milton Keynes, Bucks, MK7 6AA, UK . (07)
Empty handed, holding a hoe,
Walking, riding a water buffalo,
A man is crossing over a bridge;
The bridge, not the water, flows. (08)
-- Mahasattva Fu, The Blue Cliff Record [96] (09)
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