4 ms·

The only winners of the current software patent system are lawyers. I sincerely hope we look back at this dark time and laugh at it like we do with powdered wi

by npinguy 12y ago

The only winners of the current software patent system are lawyers. I sincerely hope we look back at this dark time and laugh at it like we do with powdered wigs. Unfortunately I just don't see any change on the horizon, so it's just as likely things will only get worse and worse, and innovation will be stifled even more.

xntrk 12y ago
It's not even just software patents though. Amazon just got some crazy patent on taking pictures on a totally white background which has been around forever..
- sergiotapia 12y ago
  They have a copyright on that? That's ridiculous. Everybody does that.
rayiner 12y ago
This is a copyright case. It's in front of the federal circuit because there were originally some patent claims, which invoked federal circuit jurisdiction, but none of those remain any longer. See Groklaw's Update #2: http://www.groklaw.net/articlebasic.php?story=20130213000119924 http://www.groklaw.net/articlebasic.php?story=20130213000119....
- smrtinsert 12y ago
  > Here's Atari Games v. Nintendo, so you can see what you think for yourself. But here's what I notice is not protected by copyright: > "Under the Act, society is free to exploit facts, ideas, processes, or methods of operation in a copyrighted work. To protect processes or methods of operation, a creator must look to patent laws." > It's there in black and white that methods of operation are not protected by copyright. So what is Oracle thinking? Seems pretty clear to me!
raverbashing 12y ago
Of course Software Patents are a great sell for developers with an inflated sense of self-importance (and their bosses) thinking that everything they created is wonderful and unique. Lawyers just played on that, and of course, they get their share of it
pron 12y ago
This is about copyright, not patents. Even the biggest opponents of software patents support copyright. If there's no copyright, anyone can take your software and just make it their own.
- rayiner 12y ago
  Not really. The modern generation of web developers don't sell software, they sell eyeballs. So they don't really care about copyright. But trademark, that's important! No advertising dollars without trademark! /cynic
- gillianseed 12y ago
  >Even the biggest opponents of software patents support copyright. Not copyright of API's
- Oletros 12y ago
  > Even the biggest opponents of software patents support copyright Copyright on actual implementation, not copyright on headers
- snsr 12y ago
  > Even the biggest opponents of software patents support copyright. This is absolutely and demonstrably incorrect.
jqm 12y ago
People still wear those wigs... http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e7/Public_hearing_at_the_ICJ.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e7/Public_hearing... (international court of justice) Not that they aren't laughable and shouldn't go away. Likewise the black robes IMHOP. The point is... we likely are going to be stuck with bad cultural remnants for a long long time which is why it is so important to get it right the first time. This ruling is a bad deal but Google certainly has the resources to fight further and I bet they do. Hopefully they scrap Java in the end.

by npinguy 12y ago

xntrk 12y ago

It's not even just software patents though. Amazon just got some crazy patent on taking pictures on a totally white background which has been around forever..

sergiotapia 12y ago
They have a copyright on that? That's ridiculous. Everybody does that.

rayiner 12y ago

This is a copyright case. It's in front of the federal circuit because there were originally some patent claims, which invoked federal circuit jurisdiction, but none of those remain any longer. See Groklaw's Update #2: http://www.groklaw.net/articlebasic.php?story=20130213000119924 http://www.groklaw.net/articlebasic.php?story=20130213000119....

smrtinsert 12y ago
> Here's Atari Games v. Nintendo, so you can see what you think for yourself. But here's what I notice is not protected by copyright: > "Under the Act, society is free to exploit facts, ideas, processes, or methods of operation in a copyrighted work. To protect processes or methods of operation, a creator must look to patent laws." > It's there in black and white that methods of operation are not protected by copyright. So what is Oracle thinking? Seems pretty clear to me!

raverbashing 12y ago

Of course Software Patents are a great sell for developers with an inflated sense of self-importance (and their bosses) thinking that everything they created is wonderful and unique. Lawyers just played on that, and of course, they get their share of it

pron 12y ago

This is about copyright, not patents. Even the biggest opponents of software patents support copyright. If there's no copyright, anyone can take your software and just make it their own.

rayiner 12y ago
Not really. The modern generation of web developers don't sell software, they sell eyeballs. So they don't really care about copyright. But trademark, that's important! No advertising dollars without trademark! /cynic
gillianseed 12y ago
>Even the biggest opponents of software patents support copyright. Not copyright of API's
Oletros 12y ago
> Even the biggest opponents of software patents support copyright Copyright on actual implementation, not copyright on headers
snsr 12y ago
> Even the biggest opponents of software patents support copyright. This is absolutely and demonstrably incorrect.

jqm 12y ago

People still wear those wigs... http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e7/Public_hearing_at_the_ICJ.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e7/Public_hearing... (international court of justice) Not that they aren't laughable and shouldn't go away. Likewise the black robes IMHOP. The point is... we likely are going to be stuck with bad cultural remnants for a long long time which is why it is so important to get it right the first time. This ruling is a bad deal but Google certainly has the resources to fight further and I bet they do. Hopefully they scrap Java in the end.