Software patents and FreeBSD

[Bryan Maynard]

On Sunday 10 July 2005 10:16 pm, David Kelly wrote:
> On Jul 10, 2005, at 9:30 AM, Bryan Maynard wrote:
> > There are two key factors you are failing to take into consideration:

> > 1) The recent populatiry of Open Source software
> > 2) The need for corporations to make money

> Trimmed to a nutshell, you simply want free access and use of
> intellectual property.

You are exactly right. I cannot afford a high-priced high-profile OS and/or 
development environment right now. All the software I currently use is Open 
Source. Part of the reason is precisely because it is free, part is because 
it works better for me than comparable commercial software, another reason is 
because I want to learn from the software I use. Since the code is Open and 
freely viewable I can learn how things are done and gain the experience of 
seasoned vetrans in my own projects.

> > So far neither of us have answered the inital question: "How would
> > software
> > patents effect an Open Source project like FreeBSD?"

> FreeBSD is already operating in a world of software patents. Your
> wording begs the question in suggesting software patents do not exist
> yet.

You are right. However, the question was asked - so I thought it would be 
proper to answer. I am well aware that FreeBSD exists in a world of patents. 
But the recent attention over software patents specifically threatens to take 
the level of software patenting to a new - and possibly sloppy, confusing - 
and possibly damaging new level. Quick question: How many software developers 
are aware that the w3c patents all their specifications? Right now that is 
not really a concern for most developers. However, if software patents become 
the standard way of securing software (which they do not even do properly) 
then the world of software development becomes a legal domain instead of a 
creative domain.

> --
> David Kelly N4HHE, dkelly at HiWAAY.net
> ========================================================================
> Whom computers would destroy, they must first drive mad.

Thanks,

Bryan
-- 
Open Source: by the people, for the people.