Subj : Re: Software Patents
To   : comp.programming
From : CBFalconer
Date : Sat Jul 09 2005 04:38 am

Paul Dietz wrote:
> CBFalconer wrote:
> 
>> The only effect of the patent was to stop all development cold.
>> Other techniques were developed, and by now have far outperformed
>> LZW. [1]
> 
> This is actually an argument used by patent advocates.  The idea
> is that a patent forces competitors to explore workarounds they
> otherwise would have ignored.

That is totally contrary to the basic idea of patents.  You can
have the same effect, without the legal protection, by simply
keeping things totally secret.  The patent system is intended to
discourage this.

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