11.28.12
Gemini version available ♊︎Alex Tabarrok on Ending Software Patents
Alex Tabarrok’s video about software patents
ᶃ Gemini Space
Below is a Web proxy. We recommend getting a Gemini client/browser. 
This post is also available in Gemini over at this address (requires a Gemini client/browser to open).
✐ Cross-references
Pages that cross-reference this one, if any exist, are listed below or will be listed below over time.
▢ Respond and Discuss
If you liked this post, consider subscribing to the RSS feed or join us now at the IRC channels.
A Single Comment
What Else is New
Links 08/02/2023: Transmission 4.0.0 Released and Mass Layoffs at Zoom
Links for the day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, February 07, 2023
IRC logs for Tuesday, February 07, 2023
When the Pension Vanishes
Today we commenced a multi-part mini-series about pensions and what happens when they suddenly vanish and nobody is willing to explain where all the money went
Sirius 'Open Source' Pensiongate: An Introduction
The Sirius ‘Open Source’ series continues in the form of a mini-series about pensions; it’s part of an ongoing investigation of a deep mystery that impacts people who left the company quite a long time ago and some of the lessons herein are applicable to any worker with a pension (at times of financial uncertainties)
Links 07/02/2023: Endless OS 5.0 and Voice.AI GPL Violations
Links for the day
No Doubt Microsoft Unleashed Another 'Tay', Spreading Bigotry Under the Guise of Hey Hi (AI)
Reprinted with permission from Ryan
Links 07/02/2023: Fedora 39 Development Plans Outlines
Links for the day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, February 06, 2023
IRC logs for Monday, February 06, 2023
Links 06/02/2023: Escuelas Linux 8.0 and Many Political Issues
Links for the day
Links 06/02/2023: Sparky 6.6 and IPFire 2.27 – Core Update 173
Links for the day
Taking Back Control or Seizing Autonomy Over the News Cycle (Informing People, Culling the Marketing)
Reality Versus Fiction: EPO Insiders Versus EPO Web Site and UPC 'Churnalists'
The "official" sources of the European Patent Office (EPO), as well as the sedated "media" that the EPO is bribing for further bias, cannot tell the truth about this very large institution; for proper examination of Europe's largest patent office one must pursue the interpretation by longtime veterans and insiders, who are increasingly upset and abused (they're being pressured to grant patents in violation of the charter of the EPO)
Links 06/02/2023: Linux 6.2 RC7 and Fatal Earthquake
Links for the day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, February 05, 2023
IRC logs for Sunday, February 05, 2023
Links 05/02/2023: Wayland in Bookworm and xvidtune 1.0.4
Links for the day
Links 05/02/2023: Pakistan Blocks Wikipedia, Musharraf Dies
Links for the day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, February 04, 2023
IRC logs for Saturday, February 04, 2023
Links 04/02/2023: FOSDEM Happening and Ken Thompson in SoCal Linux Expo
Links for the day
2023 is the Year Taxpayers' Money Goes to War and Energy Subsidies, Not Tech
Now that a lot of powerful and omnipresent ‘tech’ (spying and policing) companies are rotting away we have golden opportunities to bring about positive change and maybe even recruit technical people for good causes
Getting Back to Productive Computer Systems Would Benefit Public Health and Not Just Boost Productivity
“Smartphoneshame” (shaming an unhealthy culture of obsession with “apps”) would potentially bring about a better, more sociable society with fewer mental health crises and higher productivity levels
Links 04/02/2023: This Week in KDE and Many More Tech Layoffs
Links for the day
Dotcom Boom and Bust, Round 2
The age of technology giants/monopolies devouring everything or military-funded (i.e. taxpayers-subsidised) surveillance/censorship tentacles, in effect privatised eyes of the state, may be ending; the United States can barely sustain that anymore and raising the debt ceiling won't solve that (buying time isn't the solution)
Society Would Benefit From a Smartphoneshame Movement
In a society plagued by blackmail, surveillance and frivolous lawsuits it is important to reconsider the notion of “smart” phone ownership; these devices give potentially authoritarian companies and governments far too much power over people (in the EU they want to introduce new legislation that would, in effect, ban Free software if it enables true privacy)
IRC Proceedings: Friday, February 03, 2023
IRC logs for Friday, February 03, 2023
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, February 02, 2023
IRC logs for Thursday, February 02, 2023
Links 03/02/2023: Proton 7.0-6 Released, ScummVM 2.7 Testing
Links for the day
Links 03/02/2023: OpenSSH 9.2 and OBS Studio 29.0.1
Links for the day
Links 03/02/2023: GNU C Library 2.37
Links for the day
Sirius Finished
Yesterday I was sent a letter approving my resignation from Sirius ‘Open Source’, two months after I had already announced that I was resigning with immediate effect; they sent an identical letter to my wife (this time, unlike before, they remembered to also change the names!!)
The Collapse of Sirius in a Nutshell: How to Identify the Symptoms and Decide When to Leave
Sirius is finished, but it's important to share the lessons learned with other people; there might be other "pretenders" out there and they need to be abandoned
Content is available under CC-BY-SA
Michael said,
November 28, 2012 at 10:06 pm
Innovation cost and imitation costs are *not* the same in software. The fact that some software is open does not change this. The threat of litigation *should* stop those like Samsung from copying others as they do. There is no reason the Samsungs of the world cannot come up with their own innovative solutions (and in some areas Samsung does!)
Alex whines about the current system of protection but offers no other way for innovative companies to protect their investments… and such protected innovations benefit the whole tech industry.
With that said, the tech world moves fast. 20 years seems a long time. I think 10 would make sense. And no Disney-style IP protection extensions. Those are just idiotic. But, Alex, speak of solutions – do not just whine about how things are.