Patent hit - MS goes after Linux - FreeBSD ?

[Chad Perrin]

On Sun, Aug 05, 2012 at 09:33:20AM -0400, Jerry wrote:
> On Sun, 5 Aug 2012 08:48:56 -0400
> Robert Huff articulated:
> > 
> > 	Patents are - or should be - the means, not the end.  The end
> > is encourage people to create new stuff; the means of encouragement
> > is to give them exclusive rights for a limited time.  As long as the
> > idea gets out there, we should be indifferent as to whether they
> > make money.
> 
> I agree up to the point about financial incentive. For myself, I like
> making money. I don't apologize for that. Most engineers, software /
> hardware designers also enjoy receiving a monetary reward for their
> hard work. Simple giving away our hard work, sweat and time to some
> socialist just because they feel they have the right to the hard work of
> others is repulsive.

I'm okay with that statement.


>
> If a monetary reward were removed from the equation, we would probably
> still be using an abacus in the dark.

Cockamamie nonsense -- or, if you prefer, [citation needed].


>
> While we certainly should be indifferent to the financial incentive and
> monetary reward someone receives; in all too many cases that is just
> not so. The socialists still feel they are entitled to something for
> nothing.

. . . which need not have *anything* at all to do with a discussion of
whether a system of patents is a good or bad idea.

-- 
Chad Perrin [ original content licensed OWL: http://owl.apotheon.org ]