[sclug] Richard Stallman in The Guardian

[Antony Bartlett]

Thanks for posting that information about biological patents.  I was
recently
discussing patents with a friend of mine who's studying them at law school,
and who seemed surprised when I started talking about some of the issues
surounding them being morally and politically contentious.

However, when I later "googled" for information to pass on to her, I found
that the issues with respect to software dominated, even when I tried to
filter it, to such an extent that, until I got you mail, I didn't have
anything
suitable to pass along.

Not that the software issues aren't important, and yet, however ridiculous
the idea that source code can be subject to patents might seem to many
programmers, myself included, and no matter how much more throughly
ridiculous business processes such as Amazon's patented one-click
purchasing might seem:... I doubt that it is putting lives at risk.

So, thanks again.  And since this is my first post here, also:  Hello!
Some of you guys are meeting this Wednesday night in The Back of
Beyond, aren't you?  Hope to be there myself; cya.

    Best regards,

        Antony.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <lug at assursys.co.uk>
To: "Lars Haggqvist" <larshaggqvist at onetel.net.uk>
Cc: <sclug at sclug.org.uk>
Sent: Saturday, June 07, 2003 5:03 PM
Subject: Re: [sclug] Richard Stallman in The Guardian


> On Sat, 7 Jun 2003, Lars Haggqvist wrote:
>
> > I'm not saying that patents are completely bad. In a world driven by an
> > economic agenda patents ensure that financial investment is secured,
however
> > patents should have a lifespan as in the pharmaceutical industry. Now I
know
> > the pharmas create all sorts of other moral dilemmas, but no-one would
think
> > of patenting the sodium-chloride or alcohol molecules. It's the big
> > molecules that get the rubber stamp. But only for a time like
> > acetylsalicylic acid (aka asprin).
>
> Actually, the problems that we are seeing with ever-lengthening terms on
IP
> rights are causing similar problems in healthcare. This is why Brazil
chose
> to flout patents on anti-retroviral (HIV) drugs - so they could treat
their
> HIV+ sufferers affordably. (My apologies if I haven't worded that using
the
> correct PC terms).
>
>
<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2001/08/24/waids124.xm
l>
>
> Good on 'em (Brazil), I say. Some things are more important than IPR,
> regardless of what the suits and the lawyers might say.
>
> Another example I thought of is Rice-Tec (attempting the) patenting (of)
> certain strains of Basmati rice:
>
> <http://in.biz.yahoo.com/010823/17/13ecc.html>
>
> Best Regards,
> Alex.
> -- 
> Alex Butcher      Brainbench MVP for Internet Security: www.brainbench.com
> Bristol, UK                      Need reliable and secure network systems?
> PGP/GnuPG ID:0x271fd950                         <http://www.assursys.com/>
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