You're strawmanning the argument. Only the people on the far extreme want patents abolished. Even Stallman doesn't want that. There are a lot of us that want the system reformed and the rules on WHAT is pattentable scaled back.
Even if patents were totally elimnated on software the idea that all of a sudden that industries would disappear is hogwash. Software is still covered by copyright and that is how it should be. However the idea that you can patent rounded corners or little details of software programs (some of which are ideas that date back to the early days) needs to go.
The normal guy in the U.S. has forgotten that Corporations even have charters and need the government to exist (as they are "legal fictions"). For too many people the corporation was handed down to us from God... no idea of the history or how it came to be or the downright deception that led to them having the same rights of individuals. They complain about "JOB KILLING REGULATIONS!!11!!" out of one side of their mouth while, at the same time, the government is winking at them and saying "you don't have to follow these rules and if you get caught we'll slap your wrist to save face for everyone."
It's a total joke. The only people hurt by regulations in the U.S. are the people who are actually trying to follow the rules and be good citizens.
It is easy for a U.S. corporation to have very good official income and not pay taxes or even have a negative tax rate. This is most prevalent when you look at the property tax debacles that happen in just about every state (but, oddly, are NEVER talked about in the media).
That's why people who have actually read books see the arguments about "high corporate tax rate" and laugh their asses off.
Since it is in their best interest to scam the system any way they can (thanks to the ubiquitous "shareholder value" excuse) and there is virtually no deterrence to doing so (they'll get what equates to a $5 fine for us working stiffs) then there is virtually no chance that they will stand by the agreement.
In the U.S. there is no incentive to do the right thing EVER.
I don't do research. I vote "no" as a matter of course. Of course it does no good, but if people would actually vote no more often I think the churn would do the court system some good.
The way that corporate media critics like Howard Kurtz have kept a blind eye to this is with the excuse that "only governments can sensor people, not corporations."
Sorry, in the era where your only gateway to the mass audience is through companies owned by 4-5 people corporate owned media CAN censor, and even if you don't believe this it's impossible to argue that they can't have deep influence or outright set the agenda of what is discussed.
Let me clarify that... do you believe in long term IP rights? That's what I am getting at here. My argument was saying long term IP rights are not constitutional, not that *all* "IP rights" are.
Maybe the confusion is I don't believe in the idea of "Intellectual Property," just patents, copyright, trademark, and the like. I don't believe in the "property" part of it because it's intangible.
IANAL by any stretch of the imagination, but I have read about copyrights and patents and what the constitution states about them. My feeling has always been that what we see in so-called "IP" law is well beyond what the stated intent and power given by the constitution.
It's one of those things that prove to me the "strict constitutionalists" are full of it. They're for strong IP law most of the time, but the constitutional purpose of copyright and patents was explicitly limited and was explicitly not put in place to make companies rich but to encourage inventors and artists by letting them profit off of their work for a *limited* amount of time.
Everyone has the right to vote, even if they are idiots and don't agree with me. If you can only win by keeping people at home then your strategy is flawed.
I actually use PlayOnLinux, and even without Crossover there are a huge number of apps that work just fine now using wine. The simpler the app the more likely it will work.
I installed the Kindle PC app over the weekend and it works perfectly.
Yep, in order for teachers to be obsolete, first you need students who are interested in learning.
And so it goes. Failure.
Kids don't want to learn and that's cultural. When they are taught that school is a simple means to an end and they have no love of learning then whatever you do is going to fail.
In other words... stop linking education and job training.
Because you want to keep a standard of living higher than somewhere else.
People aren't objects. There are more considerations there. I've seen the "compete" meme here on Slashdot for years, but it's meaningless. The only way to compete with slaves is to become one.
You might be absolutely correct to say that the marketplace would iron out the difference, but that isn't ethical in the same way that using experimental drugs aren't ethical. You would be ruining the lives of a certain number of people and we value human life (and his/her quality of life) above the existence of objects. At least we used to...
Slashdot Mirror
You're strawmanning the argument. Only the people on the far extreme want patents abolished. Even Stallman doesn't want that. There are a lot of us that want the system reformed and the rules on WHAT is pattentable scaled back.
Even if patents were totally elimnated on software the idea that all of a sudden that industries would disappear is hogwash. Software is still covered by copyright and that is how it should be. However the idea that you can patent rounded corners or little details of software programs (some of which are ideas that date back to the early days) needs to go.
I played Jarts growing up. The hole in my arm doesn't cause me any problems at all.
Or if you want to support the artists (or, to be more correct, the god damn middlemen) you can buy this disk AND download it.
The normal guy in the U.S. has forgotten that Corporations even have charters and need the government to exist (as they are "legal fictions"). For too many people the corporation was handed down to us from God... no idea of the history or how it came to be or the downright deception that led to them having the same rights of individuals. They complain about "JOB KILLING REGULATIONS!!11!!" out of one side of their mouth while, at the same time, the government is winking at them and saying "you don't have to follow these rules and if you get caught we'll slap your wrist to save face for everyone."
It's a total joke. The only people hurt by regulations in the U.S. are the people who are actually trying to follow the rules and be good citizens.
In the U.S. the government has the least authority over the "people" that can do the most harm to everyone else.
It is easy for a U.S. corporation to have very good official income and not pay taxes or even have a negative tax rate. This is most prevalent when you look at the property tax debacles that happen in just about every state (but, oddly, are NEVER talked about in the media).
That's why people who have actually read books see the arguments about "high corporate tax rate" and laugh their asses off.
Is Mitt Romney so bored now that he has to post this shit on slashdot?
Since it is in their best interest to scam the system any way they can (thanks to the ubiquitous "shareholder value" excuse) and there is virtually no deterrence to doing so (they'll get what equates to a $5 fine for us working stiffs) then there is virtually no chance that they will stand by the agreement.
In the U.S. there is no incentive to do the right thing EVER.
They'll make enough by lunch time to cover it.
Big penalty, that...
Indiana has these "retention" ballot measures.
I don't do research. I vote "no" as a matter of course. Of course it does no good, but if people would actually vote no more often I think the churn would do the court system some good.
This virtually assures that I will never use a Microsoft service to watch digital content.
buh bye...
I will vote by not moving my feet and buying your xbox console or "kinect enabled" television.
The way that corporate media critics like Howard Kurtz have kept a blind eye to this is with the excuse that "only governments can sensor people, not corporations."
Sorry, in the era where your only gateway to the mass audience is through companies owned by 4-5 people corporate owned media CAN censor, and even if you don't believe this it's impossible to argue that they can't have deep influence or outright set the agenda of what is discussed.
Let me clarify that... do you believe in long term IP rights? That's what I am getting at here. My argument was saying long term IP rights are not constitutional, not that *all* "IP rights" are.
Maybe the confusion is I don't believe in the idea of "Intellectual Property," just patents, copyright, trademark, and the like. I don't believe in the "property" part of it because it's intangible.
Please explain. You believe that the people have IP rights when it's explicitly not in the constitution.
Strike "constituents" and replace with "donors."
They are two different things. If election laws were sane they wouldn't be, but right now they are.
IANAL by any stretch of the imagination, but I have read about copyrights and patents and what the constitution states about them. My feeling has always been that what we see in so-called "IP" law is well beyond what the stated intent and power given by the constitution.
It's one of those things that prove to me the "strict constitutionalists" are full of it. They're for strong IP law most of the time, but the constitutional purpose of copyright and patents was explicitly limited and was explicitly not put in place to make companies rich but to encourage inventors and artists by letting them profit off of their work for a *limited* amount of time.
Enjoy your visit with the secret service.
Everyone has the right to vote, even if they are idiots and don't agree with me. If you can only win by keeping people at home then your strategy is flawed.
I actually use PlayOnLinux, and even without Crossover there are a huge number of apps that work just fine now using wine. The simpler the app the more likely it will work.
I installed the Kindle PC app over the weekend and it works perfectly.
Just as long as the authorities don't come to blame
your for something that you never done.
Frank Zappa was at the best place around when it happened...
Yep, in order for teachers to be obsolete, first you need students who are interested in learning.
And so it goes. Failure.
Kids don't want to learn and that's cultural. When they are taught that school is a simple means to an end and they have no love of learning then whatever you do is going to fail.
In other words... stop linking education and job training.
It doesn't take long for the second guessers to arrive, does it?
Sometimes they even show up too early.
Because you want to keep a standard of living higher than somewhere else.
People aren't objects. There are more considerations there. I've seen the "compete" meme here on Slashdot for years, but it's meaningless. The only way to compete with slaves is to become one.
You might be absolutely correct to say that the marketplace would iron out the difference, but that isn't ethical in the same way that using experimental drugs aren't ethical. You would be ruining the lives of a certain number of people and we value human life (and his/her quality of life) above the existence of objects. At least we used to...
The law says prevailing wage... but it is never enforced.