Reward for Destroying Software Patent: Richard Stallman | Hacker News Reader

Reward for Destroying Software Patent: Richard Stallman

stallman.org

60 pointszoowar11 comments

Original article at the Guardian - http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/appsblog/2011/jun/03/ap...

Was I the only one who thought that Richard Stallman is the prize for destroying software patents? As much as I dislike patents, I wouldn't know what to do with a full-size Stallman at home.

I, for one, would certainly find a use for a specimen like this, who is fluent in Emacs and C.

Not to mention able to keep up with an entire company full of Lisp programmers, fueled only by his rage at the situation. And, obviously, food. Probably a lot of coffee.

You could use it as a Firewall

its policies would be too liberal.

Title seems inaccurate. Bounty is being offered by Article One Partners. It was merely linked to by Stallman.

This totally reminds me of a recent incident where someone suggested me to file for patents just because I am not getting success with the products/business I am building/trying to build. I did not get the point!

However I have to admit that I find it difficult to totally deny the existence of patents when I think about it from a specific angle such as "stackoverflow vs scrapers". What if stackoverflow had filed for a patent years back!!

EDIT: oh yes I am aware that content protection is a copyright issue and has nothing to do with patent. And thats why I said "thinking from a specific angle"; which means that it is not the exact analogy, it's just a picture how it might happen in the patent ground. And I am not trying to defend SW patents because they do not make sense, I am just bringing up the point that due credit should be given to original author and if he wants to patent it, it should be respected.

A patent for what? And how useful would it be anyway? The scrappers steal the content, and all the content is user generated.

>content is user generated

This is the biggest excuse. Thats how everyone escapes, isn't it? Even funnyjunk does that with oatmeal and claims that it's user generated content http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/06/funnyjunk-vs...

You are aware that content ownership is a copyright issue, and has nothing to do with patent law, right?

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