🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1991May7.110551.15080@dce.ie> ch@dce.ie (Charles Bryant) writes:

   You can't support patents if you believe in intellectual property rights.

Not true.

   Intellectual property rights means that if I invent something then I
   can use it as I wish,

Not exactly.  Property rights mean you are allowed to possess it and use
it, and that someone else cannot take it from you (which would consitute
theft).  You cannot, however, "use it as you wish."  I may own a crowbar,
but I can only use it for certain things...

   however patent law states that if someone else has registered it first
   I have no right to use my own invention even if I can prove that I
   invented it totally independently.

True up to a point.  You can use it in yor own private study and amusement
all you want.  A patent grants to its holder the right to control public
distribution for a small period of time, in exchange for placing the details
of the invention into the public domain.  A patent is not a right; it is
a commercial incentive.  I can build a copy of any patented device, for
my own use.  What I cannot do is derive commercial gain from it, or
distribute it to others.

I'd advise visiting your local law library and reading up on property
rights and patent law.

Just for the record, I don't like software or process patents in general.
--
Amanda Walker						      amanda@visix.com
Visix Software Inc.					...!uunet!visix!amanda
-- 
"Work FOR?  I don't work FOR anybody!  I'm just having fun."	--Dr. Who