[ILUG] Software Patents Debate

[Justin Mason]

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Niall Walsh writes:
> On Wednesday 06 July 2005 02:54, Justin Mason wrote:
> > You think that's good?
> 
> No, I think Kathy Sinnott's reply (01:48:10-01:50:07) is good, but f* 
> transcribing that now!  So here's so highlights ...
> 
> "Software Programming is of enormous importance to my constituents in Ireland. 
> So much so that I have received literally bags of correspondence asking me to 
> vote one way or another.   Understanding the nuance and repurcussions of our 
> decision is certainly not an easy task.   Today what we are talking about, to 
> put it simply, is the ownership of ideas.
> 
> In software the great ideas of yesterday are the building blocks of the great 
> ideas of tomorrow.  These ideas can be used by all to further the science and 
> to drive progress.  One of the beauties of the software industry is that a 
> lone programmer can sit down and write an intersting program.  He can give it 
> to others in exchange for a fee or he can put it on the Open Source domain 
> where everyone is free to use it and to add to it.  By it's nature what he 
> has done is straight forward and millions of people do exactly what he has 
> done. That is what has driven innovation to date and has propelled the 
> information society and the state of art forward.
> 
> How much innovation do you think will occur if that lone programmer needs to 
> contract a team of patent lawyers.   If we here today decide ... or tommorrow 
> decide to add patentability to software, programmers all over Europe might be 
> breaking the law without even knowing they were doing so until it's too late.   
> If we allow patents how much of the creativity and freedom to think will be 
> stifled by the fear of infringement of one of the hundred of thousands of 
> patents that will exist, patents that are registered or bought and that will 
> control the very tools that the programmer must use to exist as a programmer.
> 
> I urge deputies to support every amendment that retains freedom from 
> patentability.  This will give us the strongest position when we negotiat 
> with council.
> 
> Thank you."
> 
> Too good to snip!
> 
> A little faith restored.

wow, that's excellent -- she really gets it!

- --j.
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