Richard Stallman: Limit the Effect of Software Patents

An anonymous reader writes "We can't get rid of software patents, says Richard Stallman, but we could change how they apply to creating and using software and hardware. In an editorial at Wired, he advocates for a legislative solution to the patent wars that would protect both developers and users. Quoting: 'We should legislate that developing, distributing, or running a program on generally used computing hardware does not constitute patent infringement. This approach has several advantages: —It doesn't require classifying patents or patent applications as "software" or "not software." —It provides developers and users with protection from both existing and potential future computational idea patents. —Patent lawyers can't defeat the intended effect by writing applications differently.'"

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Re:The lawyers themselves are just soldiers for hi

[mikael]

A Cherokee Legend

The junior engineer was walking down a path and he came across a patent lawyer. The patent lawyer was getting old. He asked, "Please junior engineer, can you take me to the top of the mountain? I hope to see the sunset one last time before I retire." The junior engineer answered "No Mr. patent lawyer. If I pick you up, you'll sue me and I'll go bankrupt." The patent lawyer said, "No, I promise. I won't sue you. Just please take me up to the mountain." The junior engineer thought about it and finally lifted up that patent lawyer, put his arm around his waist and carried him up to the top of the mountain.

They sat there and watched the sunset together. It was so beautiful. Then after sunset the patent lawyer turned to the junior engineer and asked, "Can I go home now? I am tired, and I am old." The junior engineer picked up the patent lawyer and again put his arm around the lawyers waist and carried him safely. He came all the way down the mountain holding the lawyer carefully and took him to his home to give him some food and a place to sleep. The next day the patent lawyer turned to the boy and asked, "Please junior engineer, will you take me back to my home now? It is time for me to leave this industry, and I would like to be at my home now." The junior engineer felt he had been safe all this time and the patent lawyer had kept his word, so he would take it home as asked.

He carefully picked up the patent lawyer and carried him back to the woods, to his home to retire. Just before he laid the patent lawyer down, the patent lawyer turned and filed a lawsuit. The junior engineer cried out and lowered the lawyer upon the ground. "Mr. Lawyer, why did you do that? Now I will surely go bankrupt!" The patent lawyer looked up at him and grinned, "You knew what I was when you carried me."