[Fsfe-ie] Videoshop Mark 2

[Ian Clarke]

Fergal Daly wrote:
> On Friday 05 December 2003 11:06, Ian Clarke wrote:
>>It may not be innovative in technology terms, but it could be seen as an 
>>innovative business idea if the market was right.  For example, E-Bay 
>>was not the first online auction site, they weren't really a technology 
>>innovator, but few would deny that they are a business innovator, not 
>>because they were first, but because they were best.
> Yes but but even implying it's an innovative business idea is a no-no when you 
> bring business model patents into the picture. I can't remember if they're 
> also included in the current fight.

Wait a minute, what are you trying to argue?  I am saying that 
innovators (whether business innovators or technology innovators) are 
adversely affected by patents.  You seem to be going off on a tangent 
about how someone inventing a video library website isn't an innovation. 
      True or false, it is totally beside the point.

I would rather argue that the fact that someone comes up with a bright 
idea and files a patent on it doesn't justify software patents.  The 
goal of software patents is to encourage them to come up with the idea 
in the first place.

> Rather than phrasing the whole thing in terms of an innovative business 
> (whterh you can find an innvovative example or not), you may gain more allies 
> by showing how the whole patent quagmire will effectively keep the many 
> already established companies from doing business on the net,

Playing Devil's advocate, established companies are already doing plenty 
of business on the net, even in countries which enforce software 
patents, like the US.

Ian.