9 Dec
2004
9 Dec
'04
10:41 a.m.
On Wed, 2004-08-12 at 21:47 +0100, Pedro Lozano wrote:
Then I dont understand why there are companies pushing
for the aproval of
software patents in europe and worldwide. To patent stupid things and not
using these patents for anything?
I went to a talk by a (North American) patent lawyer about how to patent
your software. It was all about how you "should" intentionally try to
make your patent as incredibly vague as possible, so it encompasses as
wide a range of things as possible. Complete with really bad, totally
inapplicable metaphors about physical objects of course.
I brought up the European software patent issue and he adamantly claimed
that Europe had software patents right now. The idea of software
patents not being valid in Europe was just ridiculous to him. Not
surprising, given that this guy's career is making the most retarded
patents possible, but still - never underestimate these kinds of people.
I doubt the lawyers at these companies think to themselves "gee, this
patent isn't really valid at all, but I better make/defend it anyway so
we can combat our competitor's equally trivial invalid patents".
They're jaded idiots, and they probably really do think software patents
are a completely valid thing. Heck, if there anything like the typical
lawyers I've talked to, the idea of software patents NOT being valid is
crazy talk.
-DR-