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| Version 2 | Version 3 | |
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| Variant | main - default | main - default |
| Document Name | Intellectual Property Rights [2005-11-25] | (not changed) |
| Creation time | 11/30/05 12:18:50 AM | 11/30/05 1:31:38 PM |
| Created by | Andy Gelme | Andy Gelme |
| State | publish | publish |
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| Mime type | text/xml | (not changed) |
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| Size (bytes) | 4914 | 4951 |
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<h2>Overview</h2>
<p>Protection of information is important to everyone from those people who
create or own
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_property">Intellectual
Property</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_property">
Rights (<strong>IPR</strong>)</a>, to those who wish to protect their
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Identity_theft">own personal details or
identity from misuse</a>, to those who hold information on behalf of others and
even those who
<a href="http://www.techfak.uni-kiel.de/matwis/amat/def_en/kap_5/advanced/t5_1_2.html">discover
or invent (?)</a> natural systems (and wish to claim some sort of
<em><a href="http://www.scienceinafrica.co.za/2004/january/patenting.htm"><em>dubious</em>
ownership</a></em>).</p>
<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_rights_management">Digital
Rights Management (<strong>DRM</strong>)</a> in one form or another is going to
occur and the best we can do is become as educated as possible about the
potential systems put in place and the possible ramifications. We owe it to the
next generation of children to get this right, because they deserve, at least, a
reasonable level of
<a href="http://tara-indigo.org">next generation of children</a> to get this
right, because they deserve, at least, a reasonable level of
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_freedom"><strong><em>intellectual
freedom</em></strong></a>. The most recent (late 2005) abuse in this area has
been
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_Sony_CD_copy_protection_controversy">Sony's
unethical, immoral and possibly illegal behaviour</a> in the
<a href="http://www.sysinternals.com/blog/2005/10/sony-rootkits-and-digital-rights.html">significant
compromising of consumer PCs</a> by placing a
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rootkit">rootkit</a> on to audio CDs.</p>
<p>As a software developer who both abhors software patents and is also the
inventor of a software patent
(<a href="http://www.freepatentsonline.com/20040226029.html">U.S patent
application
</a><a href="http://www.freepatentsonline.com/20040226029.html">#20040226029</a>
and
<a href="http://pericles.ipaustralia.gov.au/ols/searching/patsearch/search_section.jsp?sectionCode=DTL&keyNo=2003204108&type=S">Australian
patent #2003204108</a>), I've seen first hand the retardation of progress that
comes from frivolous software patents (often lodged by businesses that have
nothing to do with software development). On the flipside of the coin, I've seen
where a business would not have made significant investment in the development
of non-trivial software Intellectual Property, without the protection
(presumably) afforded by a patents, trademarks and copyright. It is too early to
tell yet, whether in this case the patent has provided any real boost to
progress or will just turn out to be another hinderance to true progress.</p>
<p>Maybe patent lawyers should apply patent law to their own field of endeavour,
and tie themselves up in knots, before inflicting such contentious laws on other
industries, which were doing just fine by themselves !</p>
<p class="note">I'm not against commercial activities, quite the opposite. I
believe that the best sort of commercial success comes from creativity,
innovation and good execution, rather than using an entrenched position to
stifle up and coming businesses. Therefore, intellectual property laws should
support true progress, not just pay lip service to the concept whilst actually
undermining the efforts of the next generation of young artists and engineers.
</p>
<p align="center"><em>"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance." --
<a href="http://www.quotedb.com/quotes/2283">Thomas Jefferson</a></em></p>
<h2>References</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://lessig.org/freeculture/free.html">Lawrence Lessig's final
presentation on free culture, OSCON, July 2002</a> (<em><strong>you must read
this</strong></em>)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.bustpatents.com">Bad patents</a></li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.bustpatents.com/sites.htm">Useful information about
patents</a></li>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://www.trustedcomputinggroup.org">Trusted Computing Group</a>
(<strong>TCG</strong>)</li>
<ul>
<li>Don't forget to ask ... "For whom is trusted being created ?"</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.trustedcomputinggroup.org/downloads/bestpractices/Best_Practices_Principles_Document_v1.0.pdf">TCG
Best Practices and Principles</a></li>
<li>
<a href="http://cyberlaw.stanford.edu/blogs/bechtold/archives/003155.shtml">Critique
of that document</a></li>
</ul>
<li>
<a href="http://www.eco.utexas.edu/Homepages/Faculty/Norman/long/indexInfo.html">"Informational
Society Notes"</a>, <a href="http://www.eco.utexas.edu/faculty/Norman">Alfred
Lorn Norman</a> (economist), 1994 and revised 1999 <em>(interesting, but heavy
going)</em></li>
</ul>
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