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RE: RAND issues

• From: Robin Cover <robin@i...>
• To: Tim Bray <tbray@t...>
• Date: Thu, 04 Oct 2001 21:03:50 -0500 (CDT)

I totally agree with Tim.  Patent law WRT software
is hopelessly otiose in our current century under current
law.  Period.  It no longer serves whatever public Good it
might theoretically serve in a previous century under
different assumptions.  The number of disaffected persons
and whole companies [should SW patent law be obliterated by
fiat] is minuscule, and in summ expendible.  The greater
Good by far lies is moving the pre-competitive boundary
further forward.  One is not required to be a (sic!) 'socialist'
to maintain this posture; one is only required to look at
the world, as a sphere, to understand that the foundations
of technology indeed will NOT cruble if we assign to the
dustbin these outdated concept and laws.  RAND license in the
SW domain only stengthens the hand of terrorists.

May they go directly to hell, and not collect $200.00.

Let innovation and competition begin anew in a universe
where patent lawyers are as esteemed as Mafia.

Robin Cover

-----------------------------------------------------------

On Thu, 4 Oct 2001, Tim Bray wrote:

> At 02:19 PM 04/10/01 -0500, Bullard, Claude L (Len) wrote:
> >This position eliminates most MPEG/MHEG liaison efforts, yes?
> 
> If those standards are encumbered in such a fashion that they
> can't be implemented without paying royalties, then, yes, I
> believe the W3C should steer clear.  If the people who are
> promulgating these things want the benefits [rapidly-expanding
> market, serendipitous arrival of new software tools out of
> the blue] enjoyed by developers in the Web context, then 
> there's a price for that and it's spelled with two letters: RF.
> If they want the imprimitur of the W3C, for whatever that's 
> worth, I think the price should be the same. -Tim
> 
> 
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  • RE: RAND issues
    • From: Tim Bray <tbray@t...>

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