NY Times Notices Microsoft's Software Patent Extravaganza
from the how-exciting dept
Picking up on the post we had recently about Microsoft patenting how exciting a baseball game is, the NY Times has a nice long article looking at the problems with software patents, and noting that much of Microsoft's success up until now has mostly been because there were no software patents. Microsoft, of course, has a long history of taking the ideas of others and doing a better job bringing them to market. However, now Microsoft is changing course, and actively doing as much as it can to encourage its employees to patent anything and everything -- which leads to such bizarre patents as the one about teaching people how to appreciate music. The article also notes that Thomas Jefferson understood that granting a patent was so powerful that it should only be granted in the rarest of circumstances. Obviously, that intention has been lost to history -- and with it, any hint of the patent system actually "encouraging innovation."
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
Project Ebola
http://www.epochtimes.jp/jp/2005/08/html/d19811.html
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Many large companies have started without software
Furthermore the patents are not used for development or innovation. Instead they are used to block any development and innovation.
I have seen nothing really new from microsoft for 20 years. Anything has been taken from existing products. This includes windows (apple/xerox), C-sharp (java), IIS (http/php).
It's ok to make your own flavor or brand, but the way patents are used is nowhere near innovating.
Because the usage of computers has become standard on most businesses, patents are now more and more affecting dayly life.
"You are not allowed to press that button, its usage is patented."
"You are not allowed to skip this commercial."
"Your money has been protected with patented DRM"
"You are not allowed to use this method for replying to a discussion-thread"
"Your opinion has already been patented."
"Your body has already been patented." (DNA, etc)
Can anyone tell me where it stops..
[ link to this | view in thread ]