[ILUG] patents again

[Niall Walsh]

Colm MacCarthaigh wrote:

>I've been scratching my head for months trying to come up with a
>convincing economic medium-term argument for politicans, and I still
>don't see one. The best I can come up is to broadly handwave and speak
>only about Europe's economy, just never mention Ireland sub-economy, and
>hope they don't notice.
>  
>
How about the BSA's argument in the USA?  Strange to be using them as 
ammunition but they clearly feel the US system the Commission is hoping 
to ape is badly broken.

If the commissions position was ratified tomorrow, how long would it be 
before all the legal wranglings would be settled?  Who would be the 
prime targets for attack (and hence who's tax revenues would be sucked 
away in legal costs and settlements)?  How would the european computer 
industry cope in the meantime?  As long as we are hoping to cream off 
the top of the profits from the European revenues of the companys based 
here, we need a strong European demand for their products/a strong 
technology market.  If software patents throw the industry into chaos 
for 17+ years thats 17+ years of reduced Irish tax revenue (if they stay 
here).

http://www.bsa.org/usa/policy/loader.cfm?url=/commonspot/security/getfile.cfm&pageid=23401&hitboxdone=yes

"Excessive Litigation
According to recent estimates, patent lasuits filed annually in the 
United States have increased over the past 20 years, from 1,000 in the 
1980s to over 3,000 today.

BSA member companies are among the principal targets of patent 
lasuits.   At any given time their, their are over 200 suits pending 
against BSA members, costing an excess of $500 million in legal fees.   
Technology companies are often subject to suits by persons more 
interested in reaping a quick buck through settling the suit rather than 
exercising their patent.   This has a detrimental effect on the tech 
companies' ability to develop new products and technologies from which 
all can benefit."

Retyped so excuse any typos.

Niall