[Tfug] Microsoft reportedly wants open source software users to pa y rolyalties

[Steve]

Claude, you sound suspiciously like James Taggert or Ellsworth Toohey...  :)









 --- On Thu 05/17, Claude Rubinson < rubinson at u.arizona.edu > wrote:

From: Claude Rubinson [mailto: rubinson at u.arizona.edu]

To: tfug at tfug.org

Date: Wed, 16 May 2007 22:58:00 -0700

Subject: Re: [Tfug] Microsoft reportedly wants open source software users to	pa y rolyalties



Can anyone point to a decent justification for software (or business)patents?  Because, to me, the whole idea sounds absurd.  As Iunderstand it, patents are to protect implementations so as toencourage research and innovation which, ultimately, benefits societyas a whole.  (This, of course, assumes a neoclassical economic modelwhich is a questionable assumption, but that's a discussion foranother time and venue.  Yes, I'm looking at you, Jude...)What I'm thinking, though, is that I've only heard the FLOSS side ofthe story.  Could it be that I'm misunderstanding the[theoretical/social] benefit of software/business patents?  Can anyonepoint to a discussion that argues that software patents do, in fact,serve the greater good?C._______________________________________________Tucson Free Unix Group - tfug at tfug.orgSubscription Options:http://www.tfug.org/mailman/listinfo/tfug_tfug.org

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