RE: [xml-dev] Another Microsoft XML patent

["Governor James" <jgovernor@redmonk.com>]

James surowieki does a rather good job of nailing some of the
patents/business/scientific contradictions in The Wisdom of Crowds,
chapter 8.

"The challenge the scientific community faces today is whether the
success of western science can survive the growing commercialization of
scientific endeavors"




-----Original Message-----
From: Karl Waclawek [mailto:karl@waclawek.net] 
Sent: 06 June 2005 15:23
To: xml-dev@lists.xml.org
Subject: Re: [xml-dev] Another Microsoft XML patent

Michael Kay wrote:

> No one has a right to sit back and say "that's our territory for the
next 25
> years, you're not allowed in". If ideas could be protected like that,
> Microsoft and Amazon would not exist, and Seattle would be a poorer
place.

Totally agree.

In addition, if an idea is used by someone after it has been
publicized by someone else, that still does not mean that
the idea has been stolen!

More often than not, ideas are re-invented rather than stolen,
and the more obvious a patent is, the easier it is to re-invent.
Now, why should someone who puts a lot of effort into his/her
work not be allowed to reap the benefits, just because someone
else made the same effort earlier? What is so fair about that?

Karl

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