🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <4576@cluster.cs.su.oz.au> is2!alg@uunet.uu.net (Al Guintu) writes:

| it should be noted here, however, that i'm not against software
| patents and copyrights.  what i'm against is the unfair abuse of
| patents and copyrights where software and computing is concerned.
| what will ultimately settle much of this bickering is nothing short
| of a complete overhaul of what is considered patentable and
| copyrightable, and the terms and conditions under which patents and
| copyrights are maintained.

It is unlikely that anything will settle this bickering. There are
enough people that are generally satisfied with the current system
that a complete overhaul would merely cause the two sides to swap
their "burdens of proof".

By this I mean that the anti-software patent side currently must
convince the Congress that the system should be overhauled and that
exceptions should be made for software technology. After the overhaul,
those believing that the system should have been left alone would
inherit this burden.

In any event, regardless of which scenario we end up with (current
patent system or overhauled patent system), we'll never really know
which one would have been better, because only one will be allowed to
play out to its conclusion.
--
Kim Letkeman	kim@Software.Mitel.COM