__/ [ Mark Kent ] on Monday 04 September 2006 18:07 \__
> begin oe_protect.scr
> Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> espoused:
>> __/ [ Mark Kent ] on Monday 04 September 2006 15:16 \__
>>
>>> begin oe_protect.scr
>>> Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> espoused:
>>>> Supreme Court To Hear Arguments On Software Patents And Open Source
>>>>
>>>> ,----[ Quote ]
>>>>| The opponents of proliferating software patents who see them as a
>>>>| threat to open source software may finally get their day in court--the
>>>>| U.S. Supreme Court.
>>>> `----
>>>>
>>>>
>>
http://www.governmententerprise.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleId=192501175
>>>
>>> What's going on here is so blindingly obvious that everyone can see it.
>>> Even this article is reasonably clear about it. What nobody seems to
>>> consider taking to task is the idiocy of making a patent office a
>>> profit-centre; where are the politicians in the US questioning such a
>>> clearly foolish move? Why is there /no/ opposition in the US?
>>
>>
>> There are many institutes that are artificially put in place to keep
>> people employed, save face, or increase taxation (whichever income stream
>> deems suitable). Examples: Driver's registration/licencing, which puts an
>> entry barrier in the face of those who are less affluent.
>>
>
> The last few decades of governmental change in the UK have been
> characterised by moving taxation revenue from direct to indirect and
> back again. Making such a move is quite neat, in that there are
> /always/ winners and losers, so if you can persuade enough of the
> population that they'll win, they'll vote for you.
>
> Of course, the nastiest example was the poll tax, which amazingly even
> resulted in riots in the end. Further, overall tax revenue doesn't
> change all that much in the process...
>
>> To borrow a related but different example, think about the so-called
>> 'security' industry. I am not referring to physical breach and use of
>> technology to intercept crimical plots, which is something Bruce Schneier
>> seems to put special emphasis on in his security blog. I am thinking about
>> 'bug fixes' in the form of plaster walls -- something that has become a
>> multi-billion dollar industry which Microsoft intends to harness, along
>> with some financial inheritance. It's enough to get Ballmer bouncing like
>> a dingo.
>
> How about patenting fixes..?
[sarcasm voice="Ballmer impersonation" /] Are you kidding? What for?
*devilish laugh* Nobody else has got access to the source code, let alone
the modified kernel in Vista.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!
>>> Looking to our side of the Atlantic, I sincerely hope that the EU never
>>> falls into this childish trap.
|
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