Subj : Re: Software Patents
To   : comp.programming
From : Gerry Quinn
Date : Sat Jul 09 2005 02:55 pm

In article <42CF407A.269D96F2@yahoo.com>, cbfalconer@yahoo.com says...
> 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.

It doesn't have the same effect.  First, the LZW technique was 
published.  Secondly, the workarounds have to be different.  If it had 
been secret, they could have replicated it.  With the patent, they had 
a choice between licensing it or inventing something else.

- Gerry Quinn

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