Duds and non-solutions
The following are not solutions. Some are useful, but, despite good intentions and hard work, none will solve the problem, many are inefficient wastes of time, and some even make the situation worse.
Risk of misunderstanding
When we promote a partial solution, there's a risk that politicians or potential supporters will think that it's a complete solution. Thus a politician might support the partial initiative, and then, thinking that software patents can no longer be a problem, they might vote in favour of software patents.
They will have done exactly what they heard us say, and the outcome will be exactly what we were trying to avoid.
Thus, partial solutions should only be supported when you are sure that the person who will hear about your support for the initiative will also hear that this is not a solution - that it's maybe nice to have, but it's not at all what we're arguing for.
For ourselves, if we adopt a half measure as our goal, it will distract us from what we really need to fight for.
Examples
- Free software exception
- Defensive patent pools
- Prior art database including "defensive publication"
- Patent clauses in software licences
- Community patent review
- Invalidate the most harmful
- Buying harmful patents
- Raising examination standards
- Defensive patenting
- Changing company patent policy
- Insurance against patent litigation doesn't work
- Antitrust doesn't work
- Suing makers of unfounded accusations
Related pages on ESP Wiki
External links
- Patent Reform Is Not Enough, by Richard Stallman
- The Conspiracy of Silence, in which Pieter Hintjens of FFII describes the support from companies for failing remedies