[Asterisk-Users] g.729 - licenses and opinions

[Joseph Finley]

-----Original Message-----
From: asterisk-users-admin at lists.digium.com
[mailto:asterisk-users-admin at lists.digium.com] On Behalf Of Bruce Ferrell
Sent: Friday, May 14, 2004 1:36 AM
To: asterisk-users at lists.digium.com
Subject: Re: [Asterisk-Users] g.729 - licenses and opinions


Joe,

In this case the patent is on a set on mathamatical algorithms... There 
is no competition possible.  All and any implementations of that 
algorithm are subject to the patent.  This sort of patent is sort of 
like Newton patenting gravity or a patent on 1+1=2.  The technique is 
more or less a law of nature.

Bruce

Joseph Finley wrote:
> 
> I think you "patent haters" are looking at the negative aspect only. 
> Remember, that competition drives innovation.  If everyone used the 
> same product there would be no incentive to develop anything new or 
> along the same lines, where's reward to innovate if there is no 
> incentive, why do it? Incentive being the $$ for your work.  This 
> thread could go further into music, art, publications, 
> pharmaceuticals, etc.  I don't believe in monopolies, but it would 
> lead to an intellectual monopoly thus a stagnant never changing 
> technology.  I know the concept will be hard to understand for some.  
> Don't flame, just understand the other side.
> 
> 
> Joe
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: asterisk-users-admin at lists.digium.com
> [mailto:asterisk-users-admin at lists.digium.com] On Behalf Of Walt Reed
> Sent: Thursday, May 13, 2004 4:32 PM
> To: asterisk-users at lists.digium.com
> Subject: Re: [Asterisk-Users] g.729 - licenses and opinions
> 
> 
> On Thu, May 13, 2004 at 02:58:47PM -0500, Steven Critchfield said:
> 
>>On Thu, 2004-05-13 at 14:45, Kevin Walsh wrote:
>>
>>>Steven Critchfield [critch at basesys.com] wrote:
>>>
>>>>So while I think it is important, I
>>>>also can't seem to draw a reasonable line. 24 months in most
>>>>software isn't enough time from day 0 to make any reward for the 
>>>>work, at least not monetarily. What software project out there do 
>>>>you know had a major roll out sufficiently under 24 months from 
>>>>beginning of programming to have paid the programming staff off 
>>>>after say 1 year past the initial 24 months?
>>>>
>>>
>>>Software patents encourage monopoly rather than freedom.  Idiots
>>>write a line of code and then feel that they've "invented" 
>>>something.
>>
>>Temporary monopoly. Of course with the current time limits, it might
>>as well be permanent since the techniques will be mostly useless by 
>>the time they are free.
> 
> 
> And don't forget that with patents, it actually encourages splintering 
> of technologies and hinders compatability. It happens all around us - 
> GSM vs CDMA, GIF/PNG/JPEG, MPeg/OGG/WMA, etc. With software patents, 
> the only benefit is to the patent holder. Users just get screwed. 
> _______________________________________________


I see your point.  Not necessarily agree 100%, but I do understand it in
this instance as you describe.  It is ashamed that "law" has to come into
play for almost every thought or attempt in anything nowadays.