Every practicing programmer should read the Wikipedia article on software patents, if you haven't already. Many software companies are of the opinion that copyrights and trade secrets provide adequate protection against unauthorized copying of their innovations. Companies such as Oracle Corporation and Red Hat are therefore generally opposed to the patenting of software.
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kiba
17 years 9 weeks 3 days 49 min ago
If you're against software patents,
If you're against software patents, you should be against patents in general.
The problems with patents is that it prevent people from building on them for years. People with patents may instead pursue lawsuits rather innovating. It also rise cost of doing business. There are many things wrong with patent.
Patents are pure evil when compared to copyright law.
Oppose it.
ciaran
17 years 9 weeks 2 days 22 hours ago
I disagree. I'm strongly opposed
I disagree.
I'm strongly opposed to software patents (and have spent years campaigning against them http://ciaran.compsoc.com/software-patents.html ) because software patents take away society's ability to participate in the development of software.
Some other types of patents don't create this problem. For example, patents on how to manufacture cars don't take away society's ability to participate in the development of cars, society never had this freedom. Developing cars can only be done by well funded companies, not the citizenry in general.
There may be economic or technological progress arguments against car manufacturing patents, but I don't believe that the ethical arguments against software patents necessarily hold for car manufacturing patents.
kiba
17 years 9 weeks 2 days 21 hours ago
Economic reasons are valid ethical
Economic reasons are valid ethical arguments.
It is best when we implement economic policy for society's welfares is it not?
The ethical reasons for self ownership is also a valid economic reason, which mean slavery is both bad ethical and economic positions.
Free softwares also mingle well with economic reasonings. Lower price and making competitions more fierce mean cheaper but more high quality goods for consumers.
I must say that ethical reasons are intertwined with economics.
I must say inventors shouldn't be victim of the patent wars because they can't build on others' work.