Perhaps a professional trade secret, may sometimes be better than a patent,
secrets are very often disclosed, but patents are nearly always broken.  I
have more trust in the people that I choose to work with, than I have in the
people who study patents.

----- Original Message -----
From: Dave Feustel <dfeustel@...>
To: Multiple recipients of list <snobol4@...>
Sent: Tuesday, July 10, 2001 12:34 AM
Subject: Re: IP & SW patents [was: Hash function -- Realia/single_count]


>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Andrew Koenig" <ark@...>
> To: "Multiple recipients of list" <snobol4@...>
> Sent: Friday, July 06, 2001 9:34 AM
> Subject: Re: IP & SW patents [was: Hash function -- Realia/single_count]
>
>
> > My opinion on software patents:
> >
> > According to the US Constitution, patents exist for a specific purpose
> > (promote progress of science and useful arts) by a specific means
> > (secure exclusive rights to the originator for a limited time).
> >
> > It seems to me that the fundamental idea is a kind of bargain with the
> > government: In exchange for protection against others using one's
> > ideas for a while, one must agree to turn those ideas over to the
> > public when that while is over.
> >
> > In order for such a bargain to be useful, the ``while'' has to be
> > short compared to the overall expected life of the invention.
> > I don't think that is the case with software patents at present.
>
>