Knoppix Closed ??

Ste-

http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/index-en.html

Closed because of "Software-Patents"
In the next few days, the European Parliament will decide about the legalisation and adoption of so-called "software patents" in Europe, which are already used by large companies in other countries to put competitors out of business. This can lead to the termination of many software projects such as KNOPPIX, at least within Europe, because the holders of the over 30,000 already granted "software patents" (currently without a legal foundation) can claim exclusive rights and collect license fees for trivial things like "progress bars", "mouseclicks on online order forms", "scrolling within a window" and similar. That way, software developers will have to pay the "software-patentholders" for using these features, even in their own, completely self-developed applications, which can completely stall the development of innovative software for small and medium companies. Apart from this, the expense for patent inquiries and legal assistence is high, for even trying to find out if the self-developed software is possibly violating "software-patents", if you want to continue to market your software. Contrary to real patents, "software-patents" are, in the current draft, monopolization of business ideas and methods, even without any tangible technical implementation.

niallb

http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/index-old-en.html
will get you there.

This site is only one among many who have this notice up.
Expect to see more unless real dialogue opens up in Europe.

NiallB.

henbane

Not closed just making a point. A lot of European based OSS projects have put similar notices up. To a certain extent they won. The MEPs voted in a number of amendments that crippled the proposed software patents legislation so we won't have "one-click" ordering (fscking amazon) and it's ilk as legitimate patents. They still have the message up because the vote could still be overturned.

It still has to be confirmed but things are looking up.

They released Knoppix 3.3 at the end of last month.

Capt'n Midnight

ftp://ftp.heanet.ie/mirrors/download.linuxtag.net/knoppix/

And I do like the look of V3.3

Seriously - if they go down this road they would need to police all the current patents. And put the whole patent proces on hold until they weed out all the junk..
Let's face it the Wheel has been patented recently as well as a way to use a playground swing - so just how much other carpet-bagging has being going on.

Also major pharmacetuical companies don't bother with many patents since some can be so easy to break (there is a whole sub-class of lawyers etc. called "patent breakers") and look at the opinions of researchers into patents there and other areas of medicine.

Historically the industrial revolution was held up by a decade because someone patented the crank. (competitiors had to invent sun/planet gears etc. - however if this happened today the lawyers would make the application so generic as to prohibit such workarounds.)

UK poll on SW patents
http://www.patent.gov.uk/about/consultations/annexc.htm

General Info on Irish patenting
http://www.enterprise-ireland.com/documents/uploaded/IP_patenting.doc

Capt'n Midnight

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWSTechNews0211/15_ebiz-sun.html
Computing giant IBM received a patent last December for a "system and method for providing reservations for restroom use." Originally filed in August 2000, the patent describes a system to determine who is next in line for the bathroom on an airplane, train or boat. .... many others in the past have kept track of who gets to use the bathroom next. When IBM obtained the patent, it left many wondering if IBM might sue them


http://www.patent.gov.uk/about/consultations/conclusions.htm
There is no sign, at least to date, of a want of innovation in computer-implemented business methods, and nor was there in the US before business methods became patentable in 1998. Intense innovation has characterised this field. The Government's conclusion is that those who favour some form of patentability for business methods have not provided the necessary evidence that it would be likely to increase innovation. Unless and until that evidence is available, ways of doing business should remain unpatentable. - Last updated 07 August 2002

BenH

Originally posted by Capt'n Midnight
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWSTechNews0211/15_ebiz-sun.html
Computing giant IBM received a patent last December for a "system and method for providing reservations for restroom use." Originally filed in August 2000, the patent describes a system to determine who is next in line for the bathroom on an airplane, train or boat. .... many others in the past have kept track of who gets to use the bathroom next. When IBM obtained the patent, it left many wondering if IBM might sue them

Extremely unlikely, as IBM uses patents to defend itself rather than raise revenue. As SCO are finding out to their cost.

henbane

Originally posted by BenH
Extremely unlikely, as IBM uses patents to defend itself rather than raise revenue. As SCO are finding out to their cost.

If you trust IBM and whoever will be running IBM down the line. SCO deserve the raping they're going to get but IBM do use their patents as leverage. There is a cartel of IT companies in the U.S. who trade in patents and licensing for such. No money changes hands but influence is kept within the established companies because they have the patents to use.

Patenting is stifling small companies in the US and would have the same effect within Europe if we didn't have people making good representation on our behalf. It is a very good thing that enough people felt strongly enough about this to make rational arguments to their MEPs.

You can cite examples of small companies like Eolas who are sticking it to Microsoft at the moment thanks to a patent but if they get big they will be as much a part of the problem which is a flawed system and they will certainly use their patents to kick the little guys around too. As far as I can remember they have already stated an intention to pursue the smaller shops on foot of the judgment they are getting off Microsoft. (wish I had a link)

I know that I haven't taken enough interest in european elections up until now but in the future a comparison between this page and this page and other relevant european legislation will have to be done.

BenH

I agree with your points completely, and given IBM's history of almost schizophrenic behaviour it is something to be alert about. However I think that your clouding the issue in reguard to software patents (which I am against given my view that software is really just a mathematical expression and covered quite well by copyright) and the more general patents which I support and indeed co-hold a few.

However I belive that patents are in desperate need of reform and modernisation, prior-art seaches can take up to three years before they even begin to start processing properly, which for a multi-region patent can take up to 4 years. Then if the patent isnt phrased correctly it can be quite easily broken, no matter what the field. The whole process frequently costing tens of thousands, hence the reason why that its only the big companies that can afford to patent everything they come up with.

As for the big companies using patents to stifle innovation, all too true; however my real big concern is big and medium sized companies using the current economic enviroment to rape IP's from start ups. More than once I've seen licensing negotiations being drawn out and out until the smaller company goes under and the bigger company buy's the licences for a pitance, or lawyers are sent in to cause chaos and suffering. Never had big companies using patents as leverage against me or my company's though.

This problem seems to stem from corporations being treated as pseudo people (complete with civil rights) instead of pseudo countries. If the latter were true then the life of a humble R&D Engineer would be alot nicer