FSFE Newsletter

[Rui Miguel Silva Seabra]

On Tue, Jan 08, 2008 at 12:35:17PM +0000, Alex Hudson wrote:
> On Tue, 2008-01-08 at 12:17 +0000, Rui Miguel Silva Seabra wrote:
> > On Tue, Jan 08, 2008 at 12:07:41PM +0000, Alex Hudson wrote:
> > > On Tue, 2008-01-08 at 12:02 +0000, Rui Miguel Silva Seabra wrote:
> > > > Now it makes sense. Still: => recognising validity of Microsoft's
> > > > software patents. => foot, meet bullet
> > > 
> > > You would prefer they pretend those patents weren't issued?
> > 
> > No, they should demand EPO to ungrant them.
> 
> Honestly, I think that would be completely pointless politicking for
> absolutely no gain. There are some battles not worth fighting, and
> attempting to bust a few patents down in a negotiation process for much
> more important information is one of them.

Not bust a few patents, all *software* patents.

First step is not recognising them at all.

> Let's imagine that by some chance the EC agreed that the patents should
> be invalidated, and bypassed the usual legal process for whatever
> bizarre and dangerous reason. What good does that do us? It doesn't
> invalidate all the other software patents that have been granted in
> Europe. The EC isn't going to set any kind of precedent in patents with
> some anti-trust agreement.

Haven't you noticed? They already did! If you have patents, don't worry
about anti-trust!

> Software patents aren't going to be defeated one-by-one by knocking them
> out some way; the legal situation needs clarity so that the patents are
> recognisably unenforcable. Right now that arguably isn't the case.

I don't defend that. I defend that they must not be recognised at all.

In Europe there are no Software Patents. There are some patents that
have been granted against the law.

Rui

-- 
Hail Eris!
Today is Pungenday, the 8th day of Chaos in the YOLD 3174
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+ Whatever you do will be insignificant,
| but it is very important that you do it -- Gandhi
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