Re: [ITPOLITIK] Linus Torvalds slammed over software patent stance

[Jon Bendtsen <sslug@sslug>]

Den 30. nov 2004, kl. 16:42, skrev Carsten Svaneborg:

> http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=19964
>
> Artiklen er ikke ret lang, et klip:
>
> John Collins, a partner at UK firm Marks and Clerk said: "Torvalds
> and his supporters lack a fundamental understanding of intellectual
> property rights as they seem to be unaware that copyright can only
> protect software code and not software".

Her er en lettere omskrivning af indholdet ;-)

John Collins slammed over software patent stance

He's misinforming the industry, developer claims

By Jon Bendtsen: Tuesday 30 November 2004, 17:06
John Colins has lambasted developers and others who have attacked the 
European Union proposed
directive on software patents.

See Torvalds rails against European Union.

Linus Torvalds, the developer that started Linux said: "Colins and his 
supporters lack a fundamental
understanding of developer rights as they seem to be unaware that 
patents can only prevent software
inventions code and not protect it.".

Linus is reacting to recent statements by Collins and others in what 
the developer describes as "the
latest attempts" to scupper the directive.

He claims that patent attorneys  and the EPO organisation are 
misinforming the IT industry and
"serving only to endanger genuine inventions".

He said: “John Collins (creator of useless patents) has recently made a 
statement claiming that the
Directive should broaden the area in which patents would be granted. 
This is simply a bad idea.
The original law was solely designed to disallow software patents 
unified all over the EU. However
the future version – as a result of amendments made by John Collins and 
friends – will result in
patent holders in certain areas gaining a significant element of 
protection meaning that some
existing developments will become worthless.”

The Developers claim that the directive was originally proposed to 
provide "uniformity" in the
European Union and to ensure that all member states took the same 
approach of not allowing
patentability of software inventions.

"We should not allow this objective to be undermined," said Linus. 
Innovators need to be certain
their inventions are valid throughout the European Union.

Linus describes himself as "the world's leading Linux developer ". The 
statement was sent to us by
the FSFE public relations agency.




JonB