RE: They patented IRC!
Gavin Thomas Nicol (gtn@eps.inso.com)
Thu, 28 Jan 1999 10:41:05 -0500
> I'd be happier overall if the term for software patents were weakened to a
> mere 3-5 years or so -- you know enough time to create a market
> and exploit your cleverness reasonably without stopping forward progress
in the
> industry. This obvious remedy seems under-advocated, as the software
> community seems split by a false dichotomy between advicates of "freedom"
> and those of "total monetary domination".
I've spoken out against software patents a number of times in Japan in the
past,
and I advocated early announcement and shortening the term. Early
announcement
would allow people who cared to submit prior art immediately, and also avoid
the "timebomb" effect that patents sometimes have.
Still, I expect we'll see a *large* number of Internet related patents
flowing
out of the GPO...