Re: [pgsql-advocacy] Software Patents

Robert Treat wrote:

>On Fri, 2005-04-22 at 13:30, Thomas Hallgren wrote:
>
>
>>True, but pointless. The reason this discussion is so vivid is that
>>software patents pose a real threat to our way of developing software.
>>If we at all care about this, we really should make a stand.
>>
>>
>>
>
>I don't buy this. Or rather, I don't believe open source can't work in a
>society were software patents exist.
>
>
Again, true but pointless. The problem exists not in the existance of
some software patents but:
1) The huge number of them.
2) Their vauge wording (what infringes on these patents anyway?)
3) The fact that software could potentially contain so many potentially
infringing algorythms.

The system is so out of whack that I would argue that no software of any
complexity can exist that does not arguably infringe on someone's
patents. The key word is arguably because I don't think that any open
source developer wants to face lawsuits in this regard.

If we could reduce the number of software patents to, say 1% of what we
have today and ensure that they are appropraitely scoped, then maybe we
might have a chance.

Best Wishes,
Chris Travers
Metatron Technology Consulting