Comments on: Let’s Make Software Patents "Defensive Only"

By: brett_r_ja22641

brett_r_ja22641 — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:55:53 +0000

Brad,

Why do you want to get rid of software patents? I am working on patenting some software for my Boulder, Colorado based marketing & advertising agency http://www.GenerationThinkTank.com

Thank you. I look forward to hearing your response.

Brett Jackson

By: bfeld

bfeld — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:55:53 +0000

I've written extensively about this on my blog. Just click through on the patents category or do a search on patents.

By: zeroth8105

zeroth8105 — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:55:52 +0000

Hmm… its funny that the most interesting posts of yours have the least comments. Or at least, the most ethical/moral/"hippie" posts. Do you find that people seem to disrespect people that stick to unpopular morals? (Being against software patents would be an unpopular moral to have in the business world, I imagine.)

By: Elliot Ross

Elliot Ross — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:55:52 +0000

I don't particularly agree with any type of software "process" patents. If I had patented a "process for saving data to magnetic media" I could kill every business in the world by denying the ability to boot your computer, save a file or anything at all.

I do not include true "engineering" software uses – such as say, software to "improve the calibration and timing of pace makers to reduce arrhythmia"

By: bfeld

bfeld — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:55:52 +0000

I can’t speak for the engineer, but I count them both as defensive uses.

By: jeremy

jeremy — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:55:52 +0000

brad,

i just wrote a post about patents from a founders perspective: http://jeremystein.net/post/33864089

By: Erik Stuart

Erik Stuart — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:55:52 +0000

What's your (or the engineer's) mindset on what qualifies as "defensive use of a patent"? Is it (most conservatively) only using that patent to win in court as a defendant? … or does using patent X to counter-sue a competitor, who is threatening to sue you for infringing patent Y, count as "defensive use" of patent X?

By: zoobab

zoobab — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:55:52 +0000

Defensive patent strategy is useless to fight trolls, which are a plague in the software industry. Make software not patentable and you do not have those problems.

By: Brad Feld

Brad Feld — Tue, 13 May 2008 08:48:55 +0000

I've written extensively about this on my blog. Just click through on the patents category or do a search on patents.

By: Brett R. Jackson

Brett R. Jackson — Sun, 11 May 2008 16:25:48 +0000

Brad,

Why do you want to get rid of software patents? I am working on patenting some software for my Boulder, Colorado based marketing & advertising agency www.GenerationThinkTank.com

Thank you. I look forward to hearing your response.

Brett Jackson