Ca ne sert à rien, mais autant qu'on lui explique (désolé si je me suis gouré, en cas, écrivez-lui vous-même pour corriger ^^)
arlene.mccarthy@easynet.co.uk
Dear Mrs. McCarthy,
Why would we ever need software patents in Europe ?
Please explain me.
I will just tell you a simple example about the fact software patent, under its actual (and future) form, is totally unadapted.
Actually we have some companies (Apple, Microsoft, Lotus, IBM, Sun,...), with a lot of money to spend on softwares that use a simple feature named "wysiwyg" (what-you-see-is-what-you-get). This is the feature that allows you to build fine documents with pictures and formatted text "that will be printed just like what you see on your screen" with a text editor like Microsoft Word or StarOffice.
The problem is the following : this feature (as many other ones) is protected by an expensive patent (some thousands of euros) in the United States. Only big companies can afford for it. Smaller companies or even single programmers who want to use these features place themselves in illegality, unless they pay a fee for each copy of the final software.
That has a name : unfair competition. Or racket, it depends on the point of view.
As long as independent developers cannot use such features, which became vital features by the usage, they cannot build competitive softwares. Only a few companies would be able to.
The fact is, unlike many other industries, informatics and programming softwares are closer to art, music or writing than automobile or pharmacy are. Software patent is unfair, because it is not actually an appropriated way to protect legitime rights of the informatics industry.
Say to some painter that Monet's grandchildren own the rights on making impressionist painting (or some drawer about Marvel on super-heroes concept, some guitarist about The Ramones on punk rock music, or Beethoven about Mozart on using violins in symphonies) he would see you as a fool.
So, why would we ever need such patents if any programmer knows they are unadapted ?
[^] # Lettre à Mrs McCarthy
Posté par Jean-Marc Leroy . En réponse à la dépêche Mc Carthy accélère la procédure : vote le 30 juin 2003 !. Évalué à 1.
arlene.mccarthy@easynet.co.uk
Dear Mrs. McCarthy,
Why would we ever need software patents in Europe ?
Please explain me.
I will just tell you a simple example about the fact software patent, under its actual (and future) form, is totally unadapted.
Actually we have some companies (Apple, Microsoft, Lotus, IBM, Sun,...), with a lot of money to spend on softwares that use a simple feature named "wysiwyg" (what-you-see-is-what-you-get). This is the feature that allows you to build fine documents with pictures and formatted text "that will be printed just like what you see on your screen" with a text editor like Microsoft Word or StarOffice.
The problem is the following : this feature (as many other ones) is protected by an expensive patent (some thousands of euros) in the United States. Only big companies can afford for it. Smaller companies or even single programmers who want to use these features place themselves in illegality, unless they pay a fee for each copy of the final software.
That has a name : unfair competition. Or racket, it depends on the point of view.
As long as independent developers cannot use such features, which became vital features by the usage, they cannot build competitive softwares. Only a few companies would be able to.
The fact is, unlike many other industries, informatics and programming softwares are closer to art, music or writing than automobile or pharmacy are. Software patent is unfair, because it is not actually an appropriated way to protect legitime rights of the informatics industry.
Say to some painter that Monet's grandchildren own the rights on making impressionist painting (or some drawer about Marvel on super-heroes concept, some guitarist about The Ramones on punk rock music, or Beethoven about Mozart on using violins in symphonies) he would see you as a fool.
So, why would we ever need such patents if any programmer knows they are unadapted ?
Thanks for your attention.
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