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Difference between revisions of "More than patent trolls"

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(list some examples of harm rarely caused by trolls)
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A lot of media coverage of software patents focusses on the problems of [[patent trolls]].  However, patent trolls are only a small part of the problem.
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[[patent trolls]] get a lot of media coverage, but they're just one of many problems which arise from software patents, and they're not the biggest problem either.
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Patent problem examples:
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# When your computer says it can't play a certain audio/video format
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# When some new software isn't compatible with your old software or with the software of the people you interact with
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# When you can only find one, or a small number of software packages to do a particular task
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# When you or your company is prevented from developing useful software
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...the cause was probably a large software company rather than a Non-Producing Entity (a troll).
  
 
One source of the problem is that some people measure harm by counting court cases and out of court settlements.  [[Harm with neither litigation nor threats]] is harder to count.
 
One source of the problem is that some people measure harm by counting court cases and out of court settlements.  [[Harm with neither litigation nor threats]] is harder to count.

Revision as of 22:24, 17 November 2011

patent trolls get a lot of media coverage, but they're just one of many problems which arise from software patents, and they're not the biggest problem either.

Patent problem examples:

  1. When your computer says it can't play a certain audio/video format
  2. When some new software isn't compatible with your old software or with the software of the people you interact with
  3. When you can only find one, or a small number of software packages to do a particular task
  4. When you or your company is prevented from developing useful software

...the cause was probably a large software company rather than a Non-Producing Entity (a troll).

One source of the problem is that some people measure harm by counting court cases and out of court settlements. Harm with neither litigation nor threats is harder to count.

Problems which would still exist without trolls

Related pages on ESP Wiki

External links


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