Outline · [ Standard ] · Linear+ No to patents, I think the e+ webpages should be aware

This is only a suggestion, but there should be links, banners and so on
about the legal war against patents in EU.
If Mr Money (Microsoft, Adobe, etc) win, the free software will seriously
suffer, if not die. Think that some company could say they have patents
on p2p, and e+ (and all emule mods) will stop developing. Even the
php programming would be impossible, so this webpage won't longer
exist.

And HOW EXACTLY do you think that a banner will prevent that??

Besides, in accordance to Danish (and most European) laws, what you're saying isn't possible..
You cannot patent something that have been out in the open for some time..
It would be like some American Compagny tried to patent World Wide Web.. It's been here for 10 years.. And suddenly EVERYONE should start to pay for each homepage they looked at?? Naaah...

IIRC The US Army once tried to patent the whole Internet (US Army and US Education system developed it in the 50s and 60s under the name ARPA-Net), but that was also rejected because it already was out for public use..

It's the same discussion about Americans claim they can patent human geneomes, simply because they discover it..
NO COUNTRY in Europa recognices that kind of patent.. Patents are reserved for something you CREATE, not DISCOVER..

This post has been edited by Fuxie - DK: May 13 2004, 16:03

THERE are lots of _stupid_ patents conceived, no matters previous art existing.
Those at patent offices are quite corrupt. And, believe me, the big companies
aren't going to patent the internet (it's too heavy), but have a big
pattent portfolio so they _will_ kill free software and small software companies.

http://swpat.ffii.org/

And have a look at

http://webshop.ffii.org/

well, the banner brings awareness to this situation and this is the reason why patents are not already implemented in EU.

I agree with Ber when he says "f Mr Money (Microsoft, Adobe, etc) win, the free software will seriously suffer, if not die." Nobody can patent the past, but they can patent the future, and who wants to use an open-source program with the funtionality of the past?

And there are patents on human genomes. I don't have a link to prove it (haven't searched either), but there are some patents on that.

We do have something to fear from patents, it is not the p2p they will patent but the way we handle sources, the way we store files on the hard drive and the manner in which we placed the menu in the gui...

Now you try to prove you developped it in a lawsuit with microsoft for example... you do not have the money, time and resources for that! You will lose before you begin.

Patents are not reserved for something you create OR discover.. they are there for those who see the technology first and has the money to patent it, because it costs a lot so only the big companies can do that..

think of a RIAA patenting the way we complete files, we do NOT have the money and/or time and resources to prove someone else developped it, in a lawsuit, because that will be the target of those companies, thus we need to change name and way we do it.. but they will come up with some other thing we need really much to keep the program running and sue us for that too, no these patents can make the life of a mule a living hell.

those are the problems when this can happen, and the Danish law will chance accordingly, unfortunately there is not much we can do about it beside a bit of protest in the form of banners, but the more that know about this new problem the more chance there still is it won't go...

there are already 3.000.000 signers for a petition against it, now if that ammount is against it, something must be wrong here...

And there are patents on human genomes. I don't have a link to prove it (haven't searched either), but there are some patents on that.

Yes there are.. But as I said.. It's American patents (they call them world wide patents ofcource) but nowhere in Eurepe are they recogniced..

And there are patents on human genomes. I don't have a link to prove it (haven't searched either), but there are some patents on that.

Yes there are.. But as I said.. It's American patents (they call them world wide patents ofcource) but nowhere in Eurepe are they recogniced..

Not yet.

That will come.

Not quite correct. Every country has its own patent system. To protect your rights in some country you need to patent your invention in this particular country. This is very expensive and money must be paid periodically to keep a patent.
That's why, companies make patents only in big developing countries (e.g. USA, Germany, Japan, etc.).

I know that there are different kind of patents..

But it still doesn't alter the fact that all of EU refuses to revognice that USA takes patent of human genomes, simply because they discover it..

Worst exploit of a patent of a genome would be that each person should pay money to that company simply because that have that genome in their body...

Not quite correct. Every country has its own patent system. To protect your rights in some country you need to patent your invention in this particular country. This is very expensive and money must be paid periodically to keep a patent.
That's why, companies make patents only in big developing countries (e.g. USA, Germany, Japan, etc.).

This is going to change, one patent for the whole of europe, now that is bad.

The old Eupore will kill youself...