• Red Hat DEMANDS ban on software patents
    7 replies, posted
[quote=v3 (formerly vnunet)] Open-source software firm Red Hat has called on the US Supreme Court to ban software patents. The company said in a legal filing (PDF) this week that the practice of registering software patents stifles the industry and leaves developers open to exploitation. The papers were filed in the Bilski case, which involves the patenting of a business process, but Red Hat believes that the case shares many similarities with software patents. "Red Hat continues its commitment to the free and open-source software community by taking a strong position against bad software patents," said Rob Tiller, vice president and assistant general counsel for intellectual property at Red Hat. "Our patent system is supposed to foster innovation but, for open source and software in general, it does the opposite. Software patents form a minefield that slows and discourages software innovation. The Bilski case presents a great opportunity for the Supreme Court to rectify this problem." Red Hat argues that "patent trolls" have exploited the current legal system, and are developing lawsuits that make the most of the confusion surrounding the hundreds of thousands of patents that "cover abstract technology in vague and difficult-to-interpret terms". The company warned that this leaves developers facing "weak but costly patent infringement lawsuits". "The scope of patentable subject matter is an issue of critical importance to the future development of all software, including open source," Red Hat said. [/quote] Source: [url]http://www.v3.co.uk/v3/news/2250534/red-hat-wants-intervention[/url] Legal filing: [url]http://www.redhat.com/f/pdf/rh-supreme-court-brief.pdf[/url] :black101:
Software patents are retarded. I am for this ban.
Software patents are over the top, they should be reduced. But not banned
I believe the concept of a patent is flawed in all forms, it's great that it stops people ripping off your idea and making money off it without your consent. But as you have a monopoly over the idea you can very easily make your method a bollard by either not allowing people to licence the idea from you, or you offer some outrageous price(which is anything higher than $0 for open-source work). In addition to this, just because someone thinks up a great idea and patents it that doesn't mean no one else in the industry could do the same at some date, thus unless everyone in a given industry reads every single approved patent then it potentially stifles innovation. Of course if we lived in a perfect society then patents, trademarks and copyrights wouldn't be required, but alas.
I disagree
Goodbye Macintosh
This is such a legal shitstorm I doubt it will change any time soon. There's too many big players in the industry that support it.
If the software patent bullshit was cleared up we wouldn't have worlds suing MMO developers. [img]http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/433674/450098933_DER3G-L-2.jpg[/img]
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