An Obvious Patent Law Fix?
,----[ Quote ]
| If the burden of proof for obviousness were lower, it would be easier
| to invalidate the glut of so-called junk patents that software,
| hardware and other technology companies view as threatening to the
| way they do business.
|
| The big patent holders aren't parties to the actual case. It began
| after KSR International of Canada began supplying General Motors
| with adjustable gas pedals for its SUVs.
`----
http://www.forbes.com/2007/01/09/beltway-patent-courts-biz-washington-cz_ms_0110patent.html?partner=yahootix
http://tinyurl.com/utrp5
The idea of software patents is bound to collapse just like DRM. Greedy
corporations try to impose, by changing the law, ridiculous laws which soon
backfire.
In the past week:
Rights management system patented
,----[ Quote ]
| A rights management system monitors and controls use of a computer
| program to prevent use that is not in compliance with acceptable
| terms. The system monitors usage of the computer program for usage
| and activities that are not in compliance with the license or
| other use terms.
`----
http://www.freshpatents.com/Alan-Cox-Swansea-invdirc.php
Microsoft Interrupts CES Webcast To "Repect Intellectual Property"
,----[ Quote ]
| I could be wrong, but isn't the whole keynote about their
| intellectual property?
|
| Not to mention, about a million people will leak the information
| within minutes anyway.
|
| If Microsoft is wondering how they can make themselves "hipper"
| in the eyes of the consumer, not displaying messages like this
| one would be a great start.
`----
http://techoncrack.blogspot.com/2007/01/microsoft-interrupts-ces-webcast-to.html
Related:
Linux group asks Supreme Court to nix all software patents
,----[ Quote ]
| One of the greatest threats to the acceptance of open source
| software by major corporate customers is the so-called FUD
| factor--the "fear, uncertainty, and doubt" that arises (justifiably
| or not) from the concern that patented proprietary software code
| might have found its way into the open source software at some
| stage, exposing the customer to liability for patent infringement.
| Because open source software is created through a decentralized
| process, with hundreds of individual developers making
| contributions, it is hard to guarantee against such an occurrence.
| If the SFLC could ever succeed in having the Supreme Court
| invalidate all software patents in one fell swoop, its mission
| would largely be complete.
`----
http://money.cnn.com/blogs/legalpad/index.html?section=money_topstories
Big businesses boast of patent benefits, for small businesses
,----[ Quote ]
| A report published by an EU task force on intellectual property claims
| that small businesses benefit from a patent system, despite lacking
| almost any participation by the small business community.
|
| Instead, the report, titled IPR (intellectual property rights) for
| competitiveness and innovation, was written up almost entirely by
| large corporations and the patent industry.
|
| [...]
|
| The report does note objections from the likes of patentfrei.de and
| Sun Microsystems, which were recorded at some length in the report.
| But this does not appear to have impacted the conclusion of the
| report in any way
|
| [...]
|
| Jean-Pierre Laisne, of ObjectWeb, an open source software community,
| said that he found the report useless: participants were told that
| all their contributions would be recorded but at the end only
| those of Business Software Alliance and Microsoft were used.
`----
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/99155/big-businesses-boast-of-patent-benefits-for-small-businesses.html
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