[Fsfe-ie] Videoshop Mark 2

[Ian Clarke]

John Evans wrote:
> A hiberno-english image (of an original danish picture
> http://www.it-pol.dk/sager/swpat/videoshop) of what you would have to pay
> for in the new software patented www can be seen at:
> 
> http://www.e-xamit.ie/swpat/video.htm

Good work, but I think we need to consider who the target audience is 
for this.  If, as I suspect, the intention is to persuade those not 
already familiar with the problem of software patents, I think a more 
dramatic approach might be productive.

Here is my crazy suggestion (and no, I am afraid I don't have time to 
implement it - but I am hoping that someone else might):

Text could be something like:

"In the debate over software patents, everyone is keen to claim that 
their proposals will protect innovation.

To test this notion, we decided to examine the case of an imaginary 
innovator keen to set up a video library on the Internet.  He has 
created his website, but you, as his Intellectual Property lawyer must 
now take a look at it to ensure that he isn't infringing any software 
patents:

We then have the same picture of website, but with no numbers.  When 
mouse is moved over different parts of the screen there is an unpleasant 
"crashing" noise and a red circle with a line through it appears along 
with some text explaining why that part of the site could not be 
implemented without infringing a patent (this should be doable with 
Flash or Javascript).  This text should be reasonably verbose and clear 
- possibly naming the patent holder and explaining in plain English what 
the patent covers).

This idea isn't complete - but I wanted to put it out there for discussion,

Ian.