DN467150524

Subject: Re: Extra Widgets - DN [1]

Frederic BONNET <frederic.bonnet@ciril.fr> - 16 Apr 1999 - comp.lang.tcl,gnu.misc.discuss

 Hi Larry,

 lvirden@cas.org wrote:
 > Cameron, for those programming in a commercial environment, an even worse
 > (in my opinion) situation is that of software patents.  _YOU_ try to research
 > whether any of the _algorithms_ you are using are not patented!  It's not going
 > to be an easy job, but to ''safely'' market a product, without worry that
 > someone is going to come along and slap you with a restraining order right
 > after you've spent several man-years of work on a product, you better know
 > whether you are safe or not...
 >
 > What a nightmare.

 I wholeheartly agree. Software patenting is a total nonsense. But it
 seems to be a US-specific problem. Here in France, software is regarded
 as a mathematical method, and thus not patentable as is, it must be part
 of a complete industrial system. I think this is the same in the whole
 EU, as the European Patent Office try to harmonize the many EU members'
 patents regulations. This needs to be confirmed, but I've never heard of
 any granted software patent on this side of the pond.
 I personally think the US Patents Office is a bunch of incompetent
 people. They have the reputation to grant the most improbable patents.
 Look at the patent granted to Microsoft for style sheet technology,
 without even checking for prior art. I know there are other significant
 examples.

 See you, Fred
 --
 Frédéric BONNET                        frederic.bonnet@ciril.fr
 ---------------------------------------------------------------
 "Theory may inform, but Practice convinces"
                                                     George Bain