I would like to sign your very well thought out letter on software patents. I regard a europoean stance against patents in software as absolutely critical to further development of free software.
If one wants to have all software dominated by microsoft, then europe should go ahead and allow patents. Individuals while they can contribute enormous amounts of good software and ideas, do not have the inclination nor legal backing to start issuing patents. And if they did they would not have the revenue dollars/euros to fight the software giants in the courts.
One has already seen a shift in software development towards europe from the USA, in part because europe now has access to the internet which american researchers had already had for 15-20 years, but also in part due to the US patent and other legal restrictions which have begun to hamper development in the USA. For example we have important code such as ssh written in europe, because it would not be allowed in the US.
Europe must not shoot itself in the foot, bending to the desire of the USA to allow software patents.
If things keep up as they are, in 10 years it will be absolutely impossible for a student to write and distribute programs based on simple common sense. In 10 years, starting something like Linux would be impossible, if the proponents of software patents get their way. |