Comments on: Why I Am Against Software Patents

By: Oracle v Google: Why? – tecosystems

Oracle v Google: Why? – tecosystems — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 14:36:49 +0000

[...] surprising. News that the patent system as it pertains to software is broken is not, in fact, news (coverage). It is also true that the fact that Oracle is proceeding in the face of obvious, substantial costs [...]

By: tecosystems » Mobile is the New Desktop: The HP/Palm Q&A

tecosystems » Mobile is the New Desktop: The HP/Palm Q&A — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 16:36:46 +0000

[...] the patents so important? A: The patent system as it pertains to software, at present, is a mess (coverage). Mobile, far from being an exception here, typifies the problems, as Mike Elgan documents. [...]

By: Christopher Blizzard · on software patent absurdity

Christopher Blizzard · on software patent absurdity — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 12:29:55 +0000

[...] you want to learn more about these topics I’d also suggest that you read Stephen O’Grady’s post on Why I am against software patents and Brad Burnham’s take from a VC perspective: Software patents are the problem not the [...]

By: Patents and the Wild West « Adventures in systems land

Patents and the Wild West « Adventures in systems land — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 19:46:17 +0000

[...] patent storm has opened up again and is raining down on blogs across the Internet, folks like Stephen O’Grady over Redmonk and Tim Bray in his ongoing blog are trying to position and justify why they are against software [...]

By: Dave Albie

Dave Albie — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 20:59:41 +0000

Great post — particularly after news of that smartphone motion patent that broke last week.

http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/20100324/motion-control-a-powder-keg-in-the-mobile-patent-war/

Frightening to think that that patent too is in the hands Nathan Myhrvold’s Intellectual Ventures:
http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/20100326/confirmed-intellectual-ventures-owns-smart-phone-motion-control-patent/

By: The Patent System Does Not Scale | PHP Hosts

The Patent System Does Not Scale | PHP Hosts — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 16:43:52 +0000

[...] to make this point as well. Red Monk analyst Stephen O’Grady has a great post explaining that it’s because of that scalability issue, that he’s against software patents (he limits it to software given that being his own [...]

By: The Patent System Does Not Scale

The Patent System Does Not Scale — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 16:10:19 +0000

By: Een leven in 140 tekens 2010-03-28 » Jan Stedehouder

Een leven in 140 tekens 2010-03-28 » Jan Stedehouder — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 16:15:38 +0000

[...] Why I Am Against Software Patents http://redmonk.com/sogrady/2010/03/19/software-patents/ [...]

By: Militant Libertarian » Why I Am Against Software Patents

Militant Libertarian » Why I Am Against Software Patents — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 05:20:26 +0000

[...] from tecosystems [...]

By: wmboyle

wmboyle — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 00:36:52 +0000

“I am against software patents because it is not reasonable to expect that the current patent system, nor even one designed to improve or replace it, will ever be able to accurately determine what might be considered legitimately patentable from the overwhelming volume of innovations in software. Even the most trivial of software applications involves hundreds, potentially thousands of design decisions which might be considered by those aggressively seeking patents as potentially protectable inventions. If even the most basic elements of these are patentable, as they are currently, the patent system will be fundamentally unable to scale to meet that demand. As it is today.”

This is just so very close to my own thinking, and I do hold a software patent! I believe that some software is worthy of being patented (mine of course!). Unfortunately, the current level of expertise and capability at the USPTO and similar organizations world-wide, is so lacking that there is no way they can appropriately evaluate a software patent application with regard to non-obviousness, existence of prior art, etc. I’d rather not have them than continue down to road to perdition as we are now.