Comments on: Google, Open Source & Patent Reform http://blogs.gartner.com/brian_prentice/2009/08/06/google-open-source-patent-reform/ A member of the Gartner Blog Network Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:44:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: IP Osgoode » Google’s Open Source Strategy and the U.S. Patent Reform Act of 2009 http://blogs.gartner.com/brian_prentice/2009/08/06/google-open-source-patent-reform/comment-page-1/#comment-940 IP Osgoode » Google’s Open Source Strategy and the U.S. Patent Reform Act of 2009 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:08:16 +0000 http://blogs.gartner.com/brian_prentice/2009/08/06/google-open-source-patent-reform/#comment-940 [...] Prentice of the Gartner Blog Network raises an interesting possibility in his post about Google’s long-term business strategy. He speculates that Google’s advocacy for the Patent [...] [...] Prentice of the Gartner Blog Network raises an interesting possibility in his post about Google’s long-term business strategy. He speculates that Google’s advocacy for the Patent [...]

]]> By: Mono Team Puts Microsoft’s GPL-incompatible Licence and Patents-encumbered Software Inside GNU/Linux | Boycott Novell http://blogs.gartner.com/brian_prentice/2009/08/06/google-open-source-patent-reform/comment-page-1/#comment-913 Mono Team Puts Microsoft’s GPL-incompatible Licence and Patents-encumbered Software Inside GNU/Linux | Boycott Novell Mon, 17 Aug 2009 08:35:45 +0000 http://blogs.gartner.com/brian_prentice/2009/08/06/google-open-source-patent-reform/#comment-913 [...] and pro-software patents Gartner analyst called Prentice [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Well, here he goes again: One of the provisions in the Patent Reform Act of 2009 [PDF] is to recalculate the way in which [...] [...] and pro-software patents Gartner analyst called Prentice [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Well, here he goes again: One of the provisions in the Patent Reform Act of 2009 [PDF] is to recalculate the way in which [...]

]]> By: anon http://blogs.gartner.com/brian_prentice/2009/08/06/google-open-source-patent-reform/comment-page-1/#comment-874 anon Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:40:34 +0000 http://blogs.gartner.com/brian_prentice/2009/08/06/google-open-source-patent-reform/#comment-874 Open source advocates are simply fighting for an advantage they will never gain. Reality is that open source is not at all innovative, they build duplicates of closed-source/commercial products. Look around, the biggest "successes" of open source are: operating systems, web browsers, and web servers. Real innovation costs resources (read: time, $money, risks), those resources are paid for by investors (read: the developers working out of their garage investing their own time and money, or investors such as VC's forking over cash), patents are still the only protection for the small or independent software shops. Large companies would love nothing more than to eliminate software patents because then they would be able to cut or drop their own R&D and instead place a couple guys on "competitive intelligence" and monitor up-and-comers and then outsource the copying-and-pasting to India or China with simple emails like "add feature X from vendor Y product Z to our product". Remember - corporations are soul-less and only seeking the best return on investment for their investors - cutting costs is always going to happen (or at least for the smart ones). Any small guy or anyone in software innovation should be fighting like hell to strengthen software patents because in reality it's the only protection around. Either that or move to China or India and get a software job copying-and-pasting features where your $20k salary will still provide a decent living because you sure can't survive with that salary in the West. By the way, it's not just developers at stake, it's all the management, testers, VC's, etc... as well because those can be shipped out as well. Open source advocates are simply fighting for an advantage they will never gain. Reality is that open source is not at all innovative, they build duplicates of closed-source/commercial products. Look around, the biggest “successes” of open source are: operating systems, web browsers, and web servers. Real innovation costs resources (read: time, $money, risks), those resources are paid for by investors (read: the developers working out of their garage investing their own time and money, or investors such as VC’s forking over cash), patents are still the only protection for the small or independent software shops. Large companies would love nothing more than to eliminate software patents because then they would be able to cut or drop their own R&D and instead place a couple guys on “competitive intelligence” and monitor up-and-comers and then outsource the copying-and-pasting to India or China with simple emails like “add feature X from vendor Y product Z to our product”. Remember – corporations are soul-less and only seeking the best return on investment for their investors – cutting costs is always going to happen (or at least for the smart ones).

Any small guy or anyone in software innovation should be fighting like hell to strengthen software patents because in reality it’s the only protection around. Either that or move to China or India and get a software job copying-and-pasting features where your $20k salary will still provide a decent living because you sure can’t survive with that salary in the West.

By the way, it’s not just developers at stake, it’s all the management, testers, VC’s, etc… as well because those can be shipped out as well.

]]> By: Open News | Vai Google atvērtie projekti ir centieni iznīcināt patentu sistēmu? http://blogs.gartner.com/brian_prentice/2009/08/06/google-open-source-patent-reform/comment-page-1/#comment-863 Open News | Vai Google atvērtie projekti ir centieni iznīcināt patentu sistēmu? Wed, 12 Aug 2009 07:01:22 +0000 http://blogs.gartner.com/brian_prentice/2009/08/06/google-open-source-patent-reform/#comment-863 [...] lietas. Interesanta ir teorija par to, kas varētu būt opensource Google redzējumā, kuru publiskojis kompānijas Gartner pētījumu, inovatīvo tehnoloģiju un tendenču grupas pārstāvis un [...] [...] lietas. Interesanta ir teorija par to, kas varētu būt opensource Google redzējumā, kuru publiskojis kompānijas Gartner pētījumu, inovatīvo tehnoloģiju un tendenču grupas pārstāvis un [...]

]]> By: Brian Prentice http://blogs.gartner.com/brian_prentice/2009/08/06/google-open-source-patent-reform/comment-page-1/#comment-862 Brian Prentice Tue, 11 Aug 2009 20:52:49 +0000 http://blogs.gartner.com/brian_prentice/2009/08/06/google-open-source-patent-reform/#comment-862 Jonathan - thanks for the thoughts. You mention that "many requests are submitted with no real regard as to whether or not they merit their own patent." Well, that's what the Patent & Trademark Office is there for. It's their job to separate such submissions from those which represent a true advancement in the state of the art. Now, if there are patents out there that are neither novel, non-obvious or useful - and I think we'd at least agree that this is the case - then the problem is not with patents per say but with the PTO. I feel strongly that we must first address the operational challenges of the PTO before we start deciding the relative value of software patents as a mechanism to support innovation. Jonathan – thanks for the thoughts. You mention that “many requests are submitted with no real regard as to whether or not they merit their own patent.” Well, that’s what the Patent & Trademark Office is there for. It’s their job to separate such submissions from those which represent a true advancement in the state of the art. Now, if there are patents out there that are neither novel, non-obvious or useful – and I think we’d at least agree that this is the case – then the problem is not with patents per say but with the PTO. I feel strongly that we must first address the operational challenges of the PTO before we start deciding the relative value of software patents as a mechanism to support innovation.

]]> By: Jonathan http://blogs.gartner.com/brian_prentice/2009/08/06/google-open-source-patent-reform/comment-page-1/#comment-860 Jonathan Tue, 11 Aug 2009 09:16:29 +0000 http://blogs.gartner.com/brian_prentice/2009/08/06/google-open-source-patent-reform/#comment-860 That might actually be a benefit of the proposed patent reform, reflecting the overall value of that supposed "invention" being patented. Software patents have been a bane on innovation, and many requests are submitted with no real regard as to whether or not they merit their own patent. The matter at heart isn't the damage caused by infringement, it's the nature of the patents themselves and the purpose they serve - much like the ancient, long obsolete copyright laws. That might actually be a benefit of the proposed patent reform, reflecting the overall value of that supposed “invention” being patented.
Software patents have been a bane on innovation, and many requests are submitted with no real regard as to whether or not they merit their own patent.
The matter at heart isn’t the damage caused by infringement, it’s the nature of the patents themselves and the purpose they serve – much like the ancient, long obsolete copyright laws.

]]> By: Google open source strategy not just a patent dodge | Open Source Blog http://blogs.gartner.com/brian_prentice/2009/08/06/google-open-source-patent-reform/comment-page-1/#comment-834 Google open source strategy not just a patent dodge | Open Source Blog Sat, 08 Aug 2009 12:46:33 +0000 http://blogs.gartner.com/brian_prentice/2009/08/06/google-open-source-patent-reform/#comment-834 [...] Of course, it wasn’t his opinion he was stating. He was just quoting the speculation of a Gartner analyst, Brian Prentice. [...] [...] Of course, it wasn’t his opinion he was stating. He was just quoting the speculation of a Gartner analyst, Brian Prentice. [...]

]]> By: Google open source strategy not just a patent dodge | WebFroster http://blogs.gartner.com/brian_prentice/2009/08/06/google-open-source-patent-reform/comment-page-1/#comment-833 Google open source strategy not just a patent dodge | WebFroster Sat, 08 Aug 2009 04:39:15 +0000 http://blogs.gartner.com/brian_prentice/2009/08/06/google-open-source-patent-reform/#comment-833 [...] Of course, it wasn’t his opinion he was stating. He was just quoting the speculation of a Gartner analyst, Brian Prentice. [...] [...] Of course, it wasn’t his opinion he was stating. He was just quoting the speculation of a Gartner analyst, Brian Prentice. [...]

]]> By: Open Source mobile edition http://blogs.gartner.com/brian_prentice/2009/08/06/google-open-source-patent-reform/comment-page-1/#comment-831 Open Source mobile edition Fri, 07 Aug 2009 16:40:07 +0000 http://blogs.gartner.com/brian_prentice/2009/08/06/google-open-source-patent-reform/#comment-831 [...] it wasn't his opinion he was stating. He was just quoting the speculation of a Gartner analyst, Brian Prentice. A politician couldn't do that better. "I'm not saying my esteemed opponent is a duck. I'm just [...] [...] it wasn’t his opinion he was stating. He was just quoting the speculation of a Gartner analyst, Brian Prentice. A politician couldn’t do that better. “I’m not saying my esteemed opponent is a duck. I’m just [...]

]]> By: Google, Open Source & Patent Reform | Open Hacking http://blogs.gartner.com/brian_prentice/2009/08/06/google-open-source-patent-reform/comment-page-1/#comment-822 Google, Open Source & Patent Reform | Open Hacking Thu, 06 Aug 2009 12:30:45 +0000 http://blogs.gartner.com/brian_prentice/2009/08/06/google-open-source-patent-reform/#comment-822 [...] more here:  Google, Open Source & Patent Reform This entry was posted on Thursday, August 6th, 2009 at 3:14 am and is filed under Linux, News, [...] [...] more here:  Google, Open Source & Patent Reform This entry was posted on Thursday, August 6th, 2009 at 3:14 am and is filed under Linux, News, [...]

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