Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!mtndew!friedl
From: friedl@mtndew.Tustin.CA.US (Stephen J. Friedl)
Newsgroups: comp.org.usenix
Subject: Re: anyone have details of "include" patent?
Message-ID: <583@mtndew.Tustin.CA.US>
Date: 2 Dec 90 19:22:52 GMT
References: <1990Nov26.223215.28518@ico.isc.com> <5495@berry17.UUCP>
Organization: VSI*FAX Tech Ctr, Tustin, CA
Lines: 26

In article <5495@berry17.UUCP>, bukovins@motcid.UUCP (Dave Bukovinsky) writes:
> 
> This League is discussed in a very informative article in
> "Dr. Dobb's Journal", November 1990, pp. 56-73. This article discusses
> the history and current status of software patents, and what part the
> League for Programming Freedom is playing.

I need to kick in a few cents here.  I have generally not been in the
RMS/GNU camp on how software should be free and all that, and I suppose
I have always considered them to be a bunch of idealistic college kids.
Not any more.  LPF's paper on software patents was *very* well done,
and it really woke me up -- software patents are A Bad Idea.

Example: patent 4,197,590 covers using XOR to move a cursor across
a screen, and the patent's owner is apparently getting active on
enforcement.

*Everybody* should read this.  Write to league@prep.ai.mit.edu for more info.

     Steve

-- 
Stephen J. Friedl, KA8CMY  /  3B2-kind-of-guy  /  Tustin, CA / 3B2-kind-of-guy
+1 714 544 6561  / friedl@mtndew.Tustin.CA.US  / {uunet,attmail}!mtndew!friedl

"If it doesn't core dump, ship it" - Gary W. Keefe, on product development