Yannick
MadTracker Author
Joined: 16 Apr 2003
Location: Belgium
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 Posted: Sat May 08 2004 10:06
Vote against software patents in Europe |
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Sign this petition to show your opposition to the arrival software patents in Europe.
Software patents can be dangerous if they are badly applied. For instance, in the USA you have quite a few patents that cover what we would call pretty obvious things. Here is a list of examples of software patents that really exist. If it doesn't talk to you, it does to developers, and especially open-source developers.
For instance MT3 would conflict with at least two patents in that list. If that law is voted in Europe, I might have problems. For me to have problems, they would have to first notice I am infringing a patent. There are only few chances that it happens, but the threat will still be there.
The biggest threat is for open-source developers and mainly Linux.
So if you live in Europe, and if you want to keep using free (or cheap like MT) softwares, you should sign the petition.
Thank you,
Yannick |
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technoid
Regular
Joined: 21 Sep 2003
Location: Oregon USA
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Posted: Sat May 08 2004 11:26
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May you please tell us which patents are being infringed by MT? I will respect an answer either way, of course. If it does conflict, would you be able to change the code around it, whether or not that will add time to MT3 development? |
~techie |
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Yannick
MadTracker Author
Joined: 16 Apr 2003
Location: Belgium
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Posted: Sat May 08 2004 11:30
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To prevent the "might" to become a "may", I won't tell which ones. 
But a patent has to be as specific as possible, so hopefuly my implementation doesn't fully infringe.
Yannick |
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Inge
Man-At-Arms
Joined: 04 May 2003
Location: Nieuw Lekkerland @ Holland
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Posted: Sat May 08 2004 16:24
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Before I sign: what good does it to me, these software patents? I'm sure that it will also have good points, right?
Inge
ps: I'm *very* fond of opensource/gnu/low budget fanatic goodies, so these should remain intact eitherway. Puh. Patents. |
Care for a game of Monopoly? |
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D Vibe
Registered User
Joined: 04 May 2003
Location: Sweden
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Yannick
MadTracker Author
Joined: 16 Apr 2003
Location: Belgium
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Posted: Sat May 08 2004 20:00
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| Inge wrote: |
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Before I sign: what good does it to me, these software patents? I'm sure that it will also have good points, right?
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It doesn't really make anything good or bad directly to end-users. Patents ensure that the technical implementation of an idea is protected.
But to give a bad example of software patent over-use is the fact that MS is currently making a bunch of patents for their upcoming Longhorn... Not to make profit but rather to prevent compatibility with 3rd party softwares. This is of course targetted against open-source software.
Patents were invented to promote innovation; but what we can see in the USA with the over-use of them is anything but innovations.
Yannick |
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TOffe
Beta-Tester
Joined: 04 May 2003
Location: nomad
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mikx
Registered User
Joined: 05 May 2003
Location: Melbourne
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Posted: Sun May 09 2004 07:16
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err.. i'm not actually in europe (though i come from europe).. can i still sign?
mikx |
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Jesse Moore
Registered User
Joined: 18 May 2003
Location: Tipp City, Ohio, USA
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Posted: Sun May 09 2004 08:13
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| Yannick wrote: |
It doesn't really make anything good or bad directly to end-users. Patents ensure that the technical implementation of an idea is protected.
But to give a bad example of software patent over-use is the fact that MS is currently making a bunch of patents for their upcoming Longhorn... Not to make profit but rather to prevent compatibility with 3rd party softwares. This is of course targetted against open-source software.
Patents were invented to promote innovation; but what we can see in the USA with the over-use of them is anything but innovations.
Yannick
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Yeah I guess innovation means something different for Big huge software companies than it does for us individuals.
| mikx wrote: |
err.. i'm not actually in europe (though i
come from europe).. can i still sign?
mikx
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I will sign too, if it will help. |
"The world would be a dull place if there were no Idealists" |
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CHICAGO¤lollie
Registered User
Joined: 05 May 2003
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Posted: Sun May 09 2004 12:56
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| mikx wrote: |
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err.. i'm not actually in europe (though i come from europe).. can i still sign?
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Same question.
Australia isn't on the list  |
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Inge
Man-At-Arms
Joined: 04 May 2003
Location: Nieuw Lekkerland @ Holland
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Big Mo
Registered User
Joined: 05 May 2003
Location: Hoogeveen, The Netherlands
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Posted: Sun May 09 2004 18:03
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Signed! |
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sheepoid
Registered User
Joined: 18 May 2003
Location: England
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Posted: Sun May 09 2004 19:20
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The "Shell Sort" (  invented by a guy named David Shell) is apparently patented - so if your MT code makes use of a Shell Sort, then you better be on your guard Yannick 
-- sheepoid |
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technoid
Regular
Joined: 21 Sep 2003
Location: Oregon USA
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Posted: Sun May 09 2004 21:16
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Ahh, the Shell sort brings back memories of programming 20 years ago. There were other numerous sorts I used including bubbles and insertions. Shell's was the most efficient of them at the time (more lines too). |
~techie |
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krisus
Registered User
Joined: 07 May 2003
Location: Poznan, Poland
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Posted: Mon May 10 2004 09:00
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Signed too  |
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