"R. D. Davis" wrote:
> It sounds like communism is creeping onward - when the right to
> intellectual property is questioned, something's very wrong. Is this
Not to get into a flame war (and isn't this list supposed to be for old
computers?), but I don't think that we're creeping toward communism
(even though I'm in Canada, I did live in the US for two years, and have
learned something of the "American mentality" -- no insult intended).
To be honest, I think what the eventual outcome *should* be is this:
Those who wish to patent/copyright their intellectual property may.
However, that should be limited to specific processes that are
proprietary to their idea. Copyrighting "file transfers" is too much.
Copyrighting "file transfers using Tim's File Transfer Protocol[tm]" is
okay. However, if you copyright "file transfers", then you're being
anti-competitive, as Bill can't create his "Bill's File Transfer
Protocol[tm]" without being sued out of existence. That's not fair or
right.
I think that in this stage of the technological game, open sourcing is a
good neighbour type of thing. You don't have to do it, and lots of
places don't (do you see Cisco open sourcing IOS?). And there's no harm
in not opening your software. Others make good routing software (well,
bad example, I suppose). Cisco isn't going after Nortel, or Lucent,
or... Microsoft is probably not planning on opening up the source to
Windows, but Linux and the BSDs are open. All have their place. MS
stifled competition, but not because they patented the world.
Having a good idea, and protecting it from being ripped off isn't a bad
thing in the end. But, if you stifle people's ability to make competing
products, or block them from innovating, it's bad.
> intellectual or physical and make it available to all. Ok, did I spoil
> the surprise for anyone about what's in store for the citizens of the
> U.S. if Al Gore is successfully maneuvered into office by the mass
> media and pharmaceutical manufacturers, etc.?
I've heard both sides of this debate, and I fear both of them, to be
honest.
Neither of them will have interns, will they?
<ducking>
And, just to try to be somewhere within the general range of this list,
I will now mention an old computer:
PDP 11/34a.
--
Tim Harrison
Network Engineer
harrison_at_timharrison.com
http://www.networklevel.com/
Received on Tue Sep 19 2000 - 21:22:11 BST