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(We don't evaluate corporate strategies: tweaks)
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Hardware patents are not problems for software developers.  Hardware patents are only restrictions on the manufacturing and distribution of hardware.
 
Hardware patents are not problems for software developers.  Hardware patents are only restrictions on the manufacturing and distribution of hardware.
  
Hardware patents might be bad economic policy.  Maybe they are, maybe they're not.  Same for patents on manufacturing pharmaceuticals or cars, but they're all off topic.  {{SITENAME}} is focussed on documenting the social and economic problems which patents cause to developers and distributors of software.
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Hardware patents might be bad economic policy.  Maybe they are, maybe they're not.  Same for patents on manufacturing pharmaceuticals or cars, but they're all off topic.  {{SITENAME}} is focussed on documenting the social and economic problems which patents cause to developers and distributors of ''software''.
  
Some patents are partly hardware, partly software.  Such as a hardware patent which has a claim, somewhere far down the list, which says something like "''The method described in Claim #1, but on a computer''".
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Remember that patents can be partly hardware, partly software.  For example, a patent could list various claims about a mechanical process and then add a later claim along the lines of "''The method described in Claim #1, performed by software on a computer''".
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:''(See also: [[How to read patents and gather prior art]])''
  
 
==How to be efficient: Document things as you work==
 
==How to be efficient: Document things as you work==

Revision as of 12:16, 13 October 2010

Four key points to remember about ESP Wiki:

  1. You can edit it. Please do! No account is necessary. It uses the same wiki system as Wikipedia.
  2. We gather facts and studies, and we also gather questions, theories, and even curious ideas found on other forums. The goal is to open these to examination so that, eventually, they will be proven or disproven.
  3. If you spot an error, please remember point #1!
  4. The pages are not statements from any person or organisation.

Stay on topic

We don't evaluate corporate strategies

When documenting litigation between companies, we should (with exceptions described below) ignore the media's estimations of the profitability or emotions and focus on what problems this litigation highlights.

For example, when Oracle sued Google over Java patents, here are two things we don't care about:

  • OFF TOPIC: Oracle wants to recuperate some of the costs of their purchase of Sun
  • OFF TOPIC: Oracle is sick of owning Java and being the only company that's not profiting from it

These theories discuss the motivation for one company to attack another but the attack could be done in many ways. These theories don't explain anything about the rights and wrongs, or the problems of patenting software ideas.

Meanwhile, it's useful to note the effects that the population will experience:

  • ON TOPIC: Oracle is creating uncertainty for individuals and companies with projects based on Java
  • ON TOPIC: Microsoft is monopolising their file formats so they can charge extraordinarily high prices and block competition

Hardware patents are not our problem

Hardware patents are not problems for software developers. Hardware patents are only restrictions on the manufacturing and distribution of hardware.

Hardware patents might be bad economic policy. Maybe they are, maybe they're not. Same for patents on manufacturing pharmaceuticals or cars, but they're all off topic. ESP Wiki is focussed on documenting the social and economic problems which patents cause to developers and distributors of software.

Remember that patents can be partly hardware, partly software. For example, a patent could list various claims about a mechanical process and then add a later claim along the lines of "The method described in Claim #1, performed by software on a computer".

(See also: How to read patents and gather prior art)

How to be efficient: Document things as you work

The hope is that while activists work on anti-software-patent campaigns, they will note things on ESP Wiki. By doing this, we consolidate our work while we do it, reducing the problem of information loss when people leave campaigns.

The relationship of End Software Patents (ESP)

Members of the End Software Patents (ESP) campaign are the principal contributors, and often work seven days a week to monitor quality, but they are not the only contributors, and do not systematically check all edits.

Related pages on ESP Wiki