Proposed Patent Policy will not benefit the w

Much of the technology on which the Internet and web
are based was developed as a community effort to
improve our communications infrastructure and was
freely developed for the benefit of all.

It makes no sense to build upon the free works of
others and then patent the result for profit.  The
Internet and web as we know it would not exist if its
development grounds had been a patent minefield.  Many
software developers, myself included, will cease to
participate in any environment that becomes greed
driven.

I argue that if one wants to patent technology, then
that technology should not in any way be based on the
free works of others.  In this way the patent owner
will have exclusive and entire control over their
works.

I find it hard to believe that some base their works
on the work of others that is made freely available,
and then want to charge for and control access to the
result.  If one is going to take from the free
software community then would do well to also give in
return.  The advice from The Lion King, "...never take
more than you give..." seems particularly applicable.

More and more we are becoming a society and world of
greed.  The mantra seems to be "mine, mine, mine, all
mine".  And yet our greatest accomplishments have been
when we have worked together for the common good.  I
argue that it is time to return to those values and
work together for the good of all.  Our world and
communities are struggling in many ways that can be
ameliorated by free or low cost access to technology. 
Let us be the ones that continually make that a
reality.

Richard Morris



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Received on Tuesday, 2 October 2001 11:07:05 UTC