[ExI] Problem with Pattents

[Stefano Vaj]

On Tue, Feb 26, 2008 at 5:10 AM, Tom Tobin <korpios at korpios.com> wrote:

> I think you discount the potential of open-source, collaborative means
> of invention and authorship; given the currently available body of
> ideas and a mandate to go nuts (and maybe a RepRap), why shouldn't the
> same blooming of useful creative work happen in other fields just as
> with computer programming?
>
> Insofar as *feelings* go, I actually believe that all IP is unethical;
> just as a conviction that all slavery is unethical, this doesn't stem
> from reason or a cost/benefit analysis.
>

In fact, it is by no means the case that extending the scope, areas and
duration of IP indefinitely provides indefinite increments in the sought
results. On the contrary, there is a curve of steeply diminishing returns
that may well justify an opposition to patents on, say, culinary recipees,
software and business methods, or to a duration of copyright on books for
life-plus-70-years.

Insofar as "ethical" feelings are concerned, the situation is similar to
that of Sharia and lending money for an interest: if this is unacceptable
for you, you should either come up with other workable ideas for operating a
banking system, or accept to do without it.

Stefano Vaj
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