D&C Lug - Home Page
Devon & Cornwall Linux Users' Group

[ Date Index ][ Thread Index ]
[ <= Previous by date / thread ] [ Next by date / thread => ]

Re: [LUG] Open Source and Patents First Draft



On Sat, Jul 05, 2003 at 08:40:47PM +0100, Rick Timmis wrote:
> Corporate Software Development.
> Companies such as IBM and Microsoft to name but a few have deployed much 
> the independent user and corporate users alike. Developing new concepts 

Bear in mind that Microsoft is not famous for innovating or "Developing
new concepts".

> and also building upon previous developments. This in many ways has 
> improved the competitive ability of business and facilitated the growth 
> of globalisation and world trade.

Be careful mentioning Microsoft and the word, "competitive". There are
probably better examples.

> Business requirements for Software.
> It is these unique requirements that have actively produced a 
> development platform for software development.

I am not so sure about the "niche" "unique" argument. 99% of businesses
are happy with Word. Tailored software for a particular business is a small part
of the big picture.

> Open Source Software development.
> The Open Source community has developed huge quantities of Computer 

I prefer quality. :)

> volunteers, some are professional software developers and some are 
> gifted amateurs who wish to put their talents to good use. In more 

gifted? scrap that. You do not need much "talent" to moan and report
bugs.

> recent times coporate enterprise and business has also joined the ranks 
> of the OSS community enhancing features and developing bespoke solutions 
> to suit their requirements and then releasing this work back to the 
> community for others to use and benefit from.

Examples?

> As a result of its voluntary nature the OSS community has little 

As a result of business involvement? Scrap "as a result"?

> department, the head of which is Professor Stephen Hawking, uses a 
> supercomputer which uses the Linux operating system which is a product 
> of the Open Source community.

You need some more everyday examples. Like the web? Sounds scary when
only clever people seem to use Linux.

>    * Discourage developers from working on OSS

How?

> Conclusion.
> Clearly corporate software developers need mechanisms by which they can 
> protect there R&D investments and ensure that their is a level playing 
> field in the market place. Equally the Open Source community must be 

That does not make sense to me.

Clearly suggests you presented an argument why corporates need
mechanisms to protect investment. I don't see the argument *why* they
need to.

Ensure a level playing field? Have I mis-understood? Companies get
patents for "competitive advantage". Not "level playing fields".

> their software and systems. Protecting the OSS community will ensure 
> that corporate developers continue to develop software that offers added 
> value that warrants the proprietory licenses and associated cost, and 
> will ensure that global business has greater choice in selecting 
> software appropriate to its requirements.

I don't understand how "Protecting the OSS community" will ensure
proprietary software developers to continue doing their thing. That does
not make sense to me.

Hmmm.. Sun has come out,
-Kai

--
The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG
Mail majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxx with "unsubscribe list" in the
message body to unsubscribe.


Lynx friendly