[Fsfe-ie] Re: Patents, current situation?

[Niall Douglas]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

On 22 Sep 2003 at 15:52, Ian Clarke wrote:

> As per my previous email, I share your strong opposition to this
> amendment despite the fact that I am (obviously) a big supporter of
> free software.

Well I am a strong supporter of free software, it's just I oppose GPL 
software because it's not free software. And besides, there are types 
of free software you can sell (eg; one where limitations on 
copying/derivation etc are temporary).

> Our argument has been that software patents are an assault on
> innovation generally.  This amendment is basically saying "Its ok to
> assault innovation - provided you don't assault *our* innovation". 
> This amendment is extremely divisive and just proposing it will
> alienate the majority of those that support the anti-swpat movement -
> myself included, as it suggests that the free software community cares
> more about its own ability to innovate, even if this is at the expense
> of the rest of the software community.

I completely agree. Unfortunately the history of free software shows 
that some of its leaders are very fond of creating division and I 
personally don't like how the GPL is supposed to be the leading 
license of the free software movement when it's not free software.

But, this is entirely another thread, and I really should be doing 
some programming!

Cheers,
Niall





-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: idw's PGP-Frontend 4.9.6.1 / 9-2003 + PGP 8.0.2

iQA/AwUBP2+VscEcvDLFGKbPEQJGRwCfeD7rCIngM69OmXzP75OlPKXlmgsAniD2
mRxMX1KQm+TV8R5kZaFGTJ0A
=PfEm
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----