Re: tlug: RMS and Amazon...

["Scott M. Stone" <sstone@example.com>]

On Wed, 15 Dec 1999, Stephen J. Turnbull wrote:

> >>>>> "Scott" == Scott M Stone <sstone@example.com> writes:
> 
>     Scott> Just saw the story on Slashdot about RMS's call for a
>     Scott> boycott of Amazon.com because they're suing based on a
>     Scott> software patent -- not because of any abuse of patent laws,
>     Scott> but simply because they're trying to enforce one.
> 
> Software patents do suck, you know.

yeah, so did the McDonald's "Hula Burger", but I bet it was still illegal
to rip off the idea... not that anyone would want to... :)

> But you _are_ liable, you know.  Even if you don't know.  Even if you
> wrote the software yourself.  Do you know what a patent search on a
> single technique costs?  Hundreds of dollars if done by a pro.  Have
> you done any on the stuff you've written, Mr. Professional Programmer
> Scott, Sir?  If not, your professional ethics are, ah, questionable.
> Can't afford it?  Tough---what happens if an infringement is proved,

my ethics have always been questionable :)  I'm a greedy capitalist pig,
you know.

> 
> How many here have GIFs they made with free software on their Web
> site?  How many have paid Unisys their pound of flesh?  _We[1] are all 
> a bunch of thieves, subject to being sued._  And we'd lose.  Probably
> just have to remove the GIFs from our sites.
> 
> This is not the issue to get upset with RMS's radicalism on; software
> patents could kill free software because _we cannot afford to defend_
> (not even Red Hat); we can only cease and desist---or hypocritically
> infringe and hope we don't get caught.
> 
> He is an asshole, of course.  But on this issue he's a useful and
> correct asshole.

so what kind does that make me? :)

I wasn't aware of all the legal ramifications -- in principle, I support
anyone's right to have their source/software/hardware/ideas/whatever as
either closed or open source -- sure it's nice if they do open source and
everyone has a ball with it, but they still have the right to do what they
want to, at least in this[1] country.

[1]  The USA.  I think Japan is the same way, but i don't claim to be
anything but a neophyte[2] when it comes to Japanese law.

[2]  No, this is not a type of forest lizard.

--------------------------
Scott M. Stone, CCNA <sstone@example.com>
UNIX Systems and Network Engineer
Taos - The SysAdmin Company 

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