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From: ned@pebbles.cad.mcc.com (Ned Nowotny)
Newsgroups: misc.legal,comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: Should software ideas be protected? (Was Re: Software Copyright Law
Keywords: European Community, copyright, reverse engineering
Message-ID: <7510@cadillac.CAD.MCC.COM>
Date: 9 Apr 90 18:12:47 GMT
References: <1093@goofy.UUCP> <14867@s.ms.uky.edu> <1990Apr8.003410.9841@ncsuvx.ncsu.edu> <2634@psueea.UUCP>
Sender: news@cadillac.CAD.MCC.COM
Reply-To: ned%cad@MCC.COM (Ned Nowotny)
Organization: MCC CAD Program, Austin, TX
Lines: 34

In article <2634@psueea.UUCP> warren@eecs.UUCP (Warren Harrison) writes:
=>In article <1990Apr8.003410.9841@ncsuvx.ncsu.edu> hes@ccvr1.ncsu.edu (Henry E. Schaffer) writes:
=>>In article <14867@s.ms.uky.edu> sean@ms.uky.edu (Sean Casey) writes:
=>>
=>>  This whole thing bothers me very much.  It is giving software ownership
=>>priveleges which other owners of intellectual property do not have.
=>>If I buy a patented machine, I am certainly allowed to take it apart,
=>>to observe how it works, and to learn from it.
=>But you can't go any further than that, ie, make your own version
=>of the item, that's what patents are all about. I imagine this is
=>the protection the software companies desire - being able to keep
=>a user from copying the algorithm and using it in their own product.
=>

Copyright no more covers algorithms in software publishing than it does
plots in book publishing.  Copyright only pertains to the expression of
an idea, not the idea itself.

=>Me, I'm for anything that A) makes small guys competitive with the
=>big companies and B) reduces the incentive for companies to patent
=>things since then it nails you if you come up with the algorithms,
=>etc, independently.

Despite the common perception, copyright and patent law generally benefits
most the person or organization with the best lawyers and the deepest
pockets for litigation.  Big corporations are not lobbying Congress for
expanded copyright and patent protection because of an altruistic desire to
help the "little guy."  Instead, they see it as an effective weapon for
stifling competition with the full blessing of the government.

Ned Nowotny, MCC CAD Program, Box 200195, Austin, TX  78720  Ph: (512) 338-3715
ARPA: ned@mcc.com                   UUCP: ...!cs.utexas.edu!milano!cadillac!ned
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