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The Economist Contrasts American, European Patent Approaches
fiannaFailMan writes "The Economist has summarised recent developents in software patents and contrasts the American and European approaches. 'The European Commission wants to avoid the American situation, in which case law drives authorities to issue computer-related patents all too easily, in particular for business methods and algorithms.'"
Stupid patent/copyright laws, the department of homeland security, total^H^H^H^H^H terrorist information awareness, patriot act, patriot act II, and cute girls with British accents made me move to London.
There is a lot of authoritarian crap going on in America at the moment I agree, but have you any idea how much power the authorities here (UK) have? Under the Terrorism Act 2000 the Police are allowed to break up a meeting of three or more people without *any* sort of court order if they believe it is for terrorist purposes. There are cameras everywhere. The authorities (Police, Customs, Inland Revenue and a few others) can see who you've been emailing without a court order (RIP Act 2000). There's talk of introducing a compulsory ID card (smuggled in through the back door as an 'entitlement card'). I hope you don't drive or smoke, because you'll pay through the nose for it (unless you bring it in from abroad). But this is turning into a rant, so I'll stop now. And yes, I like our girls very much as well.
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See
http://swpat.ffii.org/players/us/
a page that gives a small glimpse.
At the recent OECD conference, the US government's representative said that such conferences are useless and the debates of the economists harmful, because the patent system as is is "basically good" and the US will not permit any policy except one that "extends and strengthens" this system. The same representatives have also been doing their best to kill discussions on proper limits of "IP" at WIPO and other UN organisations.
I've never quite understood what's so horribly wrong with a compulsory ID?
I'm not sure there is any intrinsic problem with one.
In the UK it's partly a cultural thing. We had them in World War II I think, and destroying them afterwards was a sign of things returning to normality. Bringing them back sounds like a backwards step.
Also, successive governments have come up with spurious arguments for why we should have one, which makes everyone suspicious and uneasy.
It's a bit like the Intel processor ID thing: there's no problem with the idea in principle but when they come out with that rubbish about it being to aid internet shopping people get nervous wondering what the real reason was and why they were lying about it.
Mostly the UK Government has tried to claim that having an ID card would reduce crime but then refuse to say what crimes (bank robberies? murders? pickpocketings?) and how.
For situations where evidence of ID is desirable, it isn't that hard to require some (which I'll admit is one reason for saying that an ID card can't do any harm in itself). There's a cost issue as well, though that isn't a reason people would usually react so negatively.