Yannick
MadTracker Author
Joined: 16 Apr 2003
Location: Belgium
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 Posted: Tue Mar 01 2005 00:39
The threat of Software Patents in Europe |
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Edit: Headline was: "The development of MadTracker will stop"
Missed a heartbeat by reading the headline?
It's not an april fool. And it's not true either. But it may happen in a near future.
"WTF?" I hear you say.
Well, the problem is quite simple. Software patents are coming in Europe. While they might be good in theory, in practise it could do more harm than expected to you, the consumers. In a few simple words, it allows a company to prevent others to do the same as they do - to protect their intellectual property, bla bla bla. The practise is very common in the US, especially with our friends at Microsoft.
Patents could prevent small companies (like me) to develop their software as they will - and thus spoil the competition (which is good for consumers).
And guess who insists to have software patents in Europe? Not me nor any small company. It's Microsoft.
Not surprised? Well, me neither. But the way they put pressure on the process is simply disgusting.
And the EU Commissioner Charlie McCreevy seems to be more interested into what's good for MS than what's good to the whole Europe.
What a sweet democracy isn't it?
Topic on NoSoftwarePatents.com
Article on Slashdot |
Last edited by Yannick on Sun Mar 06 2005 15:11; edited 1 time in total |
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Walter Vos
Registered User
Joined: 04 May 2003
Location: Groningen, The Netherlands
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Posted: Tue Mar 01 2005 00:48
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Why exactly would this harm madtracker? Can you explain a bit more? |
what is hip?
www.waltervos.nl |
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Yannick
MadTracker Author
Joined: 16 Apr 2003
Location: Belgium
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Posted: Tue Mar 01 2005 01:02
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One simple and concrete example: the direct-to-disk process is patented. So MT will never have a real direct-to-disk feature because of this. We can imagine some other features will be patented later and reserved for a small subset of big companies.
While this is unlikely to be really bad for me, it'll be for a lot of small developers.
Yannick |
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Inge
Man-At-Arms
Joined: 04 May 2003
Location: Nieuw Lekkerland @ Holland
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Posted: Tue Mar 01 2005 01:17
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If I'm not mistaken, a Dutch european minister from the SP (Socialist Party, democrats who pretend to be communistic to attract votes from the three last remaining communists in Holland, apparently) did originally manage to restart the European proces of patent investigation.
Well, there goes national fame. And there goes goo' ol' MadTracker 
Inge |
Care for a game of Monopoly? |
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Yannick
MadTracker Author
Joined: 16 Apr 2003
Location: Belgium
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Posted: Tue Mar 01 2005 01:23
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| Inge wrote: |
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If I'm not mistaken, a Dutch european minister from the SP [...] did originally manage to restart the European proces of patent investigation.
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That's this restart request that has just been declined in an anti-democratic way.
Yannick |
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N0N
Registered User
Joined: 20 Oct 2003
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Posted: Tue Mar 01 2005 04:40
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omg,... omg.... noooo....... what will happen? when...?
AAAAHhhhhh, this just isn't cool. no way no how.
This is the worse news ever....  I"m sad, I need some form of hope? Anything? Can you still make updates to the current version, or must they all be destroyed.. ?
I can only say and hope ,
Long Live Madtracker |
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SoulEye
Beta-Tester
Joined: 31 Jan 2004
Location: Helsingborg, Sweden!
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Posted: Tue Mar 01 2005 08:26
OMFG |
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I got a parking ticket yesterday. ~£80. I got non sleep last night. Tired. Have to work. And what awaits me when I wake up? Another big fat slap in the face. Can this day go any more wrong?
I sure hope not, or I'll be burying my family by 3 o'clock. |
http://www.souleye.se |
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Yannick
MadTracker Author
Joined: 16 Apr 2003
Location: Belgium
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Posted: Tue Mar 01 2005 09:54
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Just to make things clear, I'll keep developing MadTracker as long as I breathe.  I was just showing what software patents could do in the worst scenario.
Yannick |
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mechanism
Registered User
Joined: 11 Jul 2003
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Posted: Tue Mar 01 2005 12:23
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If your not theorecally selling madtracker can a patent effect its development and release to the public? |
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Yannick
MadTracker Author
Joined: 16 Apr 2003
Location: Belgium
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Posted: Tue Mar 01 2005 13:07
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AFAIK, patents are not a matter of selling. And even though I don't directly sell MadTracker, I still make profit out of it.
Yannick |
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prinsW
Registered User
Joined: 22 Oct 2003
Location: Den Haag, Holland
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Posted: Tue Mar 01 2005 14:16
i like mt2 this way |
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Hey guys, cheer up.. madtracker is at its peak level. what could be better? nuthin.. i like it this way. no more changes in mt2 please.. 
only god knows the future......
stick to the program.....
peace...
prinsW. |
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Walter Vos
Registered User
Joined: 04 May 2003
Location: Groningen, The Netherlands
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Posted: Tue Mar 01 2005 14:18
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don't listen to prinsW Yannick! |
what is hip?
www.waltervos.nl |
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prinsW
Registered User
Joined: 22 Oct 2003
Location: Den Haag, Holland
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Posted: Tue Mar 01 2005 14:22
ft2 is dead long live mt2 |
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listen to mr Vos!  |
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SoulEye
Beta-Tester
Joined: 31 Jan 2004
Location: Helsingborg, Sweden!
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Posted: Tue Mar 01 2005 16:25
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MT can evolve a lot from here... But too bad for everybody, somebody has patented the idea of having a mouse cursor to point and click, so he's gonna shut down all software all over the world unless they pay him 10% of their company's profits worth every time they use this technique in an infringing application.
Brave new world!
Note: The above statement is of conceptual TRUTH and has many other stories like it (albeit not of that big range), that are just as mindboggling. The horrifying examples goes on and on. |
http://www.souleye.se |
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TNK / ATK project
Registered User
Joined: 13 May 2003
Location: Village-Neuf, France (Dont's search on the map, it's tiny...)
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Posted: Tue Mar 01 2005 19:30
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In France we'll have a referendum in May that will ask us whether we'll accept or not the european constitution.
As I hate lacks of democracy, and despite I am a pro-european, it's quite clear that such news will make me vote NO to the european constitution referendum.
Software patents are a shame and the behaviour of the EU is an insult to what democracy should be.
BTW, in France, Alain Madelin (Right wing, pro capitalist and pro american) and Arlette Laguiller (Extreme left wing, anti capitalist, anti american and communist) are BOTH against the software patents. Those people NEVER agreed on any topic before...
I guess this says it all : Software patents are EVIL !
Sign *ALL* petitions you can against those patents. I already did. |
Switzerland : #1 earthquake provider! (Bootyshakin' Willhelm Tell ?!?) |
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