IsNot patent

  • Article

I can't stand seeing my friends slammed on Slashdot yet again, so I'd like to say something about the "IsNot patent" fiasco. Paul, Amanda, and Corneliu are some of the nicest people I know, and I had the pleasure to work directly with them for several years. The "IsNot patent" is the result of a broken system and a litigious software industry, not the selling-out of unprincipled applicants.

Comments

  • Anonymous
    February 22, 2005
    The comment has been removed
  • Anonymous
    February 22, 2005
    "a broken system and a litigious software industry" = "selling-out of unprincipled applicants"
  • Anonymous
    February 22, 2005
    The comment has been removed
  • Anonymous
    February 22, 2005
    The comment has been removed
  • Anonymous
    February 22, 2005
    If it's a broken system, why is Microsoft one of the major proponents to it's introduction in Europe? A company is only as good as it's employees, and when it's employees are at odds with the company there is a systemic problem somewhere.

    Your argument is the Charles Graner "only following orders" argument. To quote Wilton Knight, one man can make a difference.
  • Anonymous
    February 22, 2005
    The comment has been removed
  • Anonymous
    February 22, 2005
    It seems like MS should be fighting software patnents instead of lobbying for them. Like or not, your employer is part of the problem, not part of the solution.
  • Anonymous
    February 22, 2005
    It seems like MS should be fighting software patnents instead of lobbying for them. Like or not, your employer is part of the problem, not part of the solution.
  • Anonymous
    February 22, 2005
    You need to stop thinking rationally about patents when talking about /. This is of course the site that believes that Microsoft can do no good for the world.
  • Anonymous
    February 22, 2005
    Are you sayig that it is OK and that you support a patent being placed on a basic (no pun intended) programming language contruct needed by everyone? What's wrong with you, man?!
  • Anonymous
    February 22, 2005
    The comment has been removed
  • Anonymous
    February 23, 2005
    Firstly, I left Microsoft almost a year ago.

    Secondly, I personally have never supported this patent, even while an employee.

    Thirdly, it is undeniable that the software industry is an environment which necessitates the accumulation of patents for protection from litigation.

    Lastly, while I myself do not know the complete details behind the creation of this patent, I know enough about the authors to state, matter-of-factly, that their integrity is not in question. I call it as I see it, and take it for what it's worth--one person's opinion.
  • Anonymous
    February 24, 2005
    I agree that the "inventors" should not personally be getting slammed - it is the company however that should be. While these people did the inventing, they are not the ones footing the bills or probably even reaping the reward if there was one.

    So while these people may and probably are fine citizens - that really plays no role in the fact that MICROSOFT is patenting an assinine thing such as this. Regardless of the system, there really is no excuse... What is next? The letter Q as used in an equation or operator expression?

    I seem to recall Bill Gates himself saying that no one can control a language (see Antitrust deposition when asked about Java)... Thus the create of J# and the like... How is it that this appears to be exactly what is being done now. Why not patent the use of brackets as well? Where would J# be today with this sort of thing.

    You know, I have been a supporter of MS products and tools over the years. I have believed and still do to some degree that they get a bad rap. That said, this is exactly what people like Scott McNealy has told jokes about (sidenote: I find him to be irritating) half seriously - that Microsoft would like to patent languages including the English language so we all pay a license fee when we speak. I think I owe probably 75 cents now because of this post. Tell me where I should send the 75 cent check to... err 76, I mean 77, 79...
  • Anonymous
    March 14, 2005
    Couldn't they just donate the patent to an organization whose purpose was to make the patent available to everyone and keep it out of the hands of money grubbers?
  • Anonymous
    April 08, 2005
    hmmmm
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    November 14, 2008
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