Ask HN: Why is there no Anti-Software-Patents organization?

8 points by jpadvo 15y ago ↗ HN

First, I want to recognize the EFF[1]. They do great work, but they've got a lot more on their plate than just patent reform. I won't reiterate the problem: we all know about the issues with the patent system. And besides, Fred Wilson just wrote up a great post about it[2]: "Enough is Enough."

A lot of people, including companies with deep pockets, like Google[3], have publicly called for reform of the patent system. If this is such an important issue for us, why are we not organized around it?

This is not a rhetorical question. I genuinely don't understand why there is no major organization dedicated to pushing for patent reform. Such an organization would stand a much greater chance of enacting reforms than everyone acting individually. And such an organization could do things like organize developers in opposition to specific attacks by the trolls.

Why does this not exist? If it is simply because nobody has had the time to do it, I'll gladly pitch in and do what I can to get something rolling. If it's a deeper problem, we need to figure out what it is. In any case, enough truly is enough. We need to end this thing.

[1] http://www.eff.org/

[2] http://www.avc.com/a_vc/2011/06/enough-is-enough.html

[3] http://googlepublicpolicy.blogspot.com/2009/03/patent-reform-needed-more-than-ever.html

1 comment

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foxhill 15y ago ↗

i think the EFF take the right approach here - software patents do actually make sense, sometimes.

patents are good at protecting individuals/small businesses from being crushed by larger companies (assuming they can secure patents for their ideas)

however, the system is nonsensical when large organizations have literally millions of patents, for the vaguest of concepts/ideas (google: patent for round transportation aid, or the like), which end up in legal action, the outcome of which is irrelevant because the fees involved for the smaller party are insurmountable.

then you have companies like ATI and nVidia, who's graphics drivers probably break an uncountably large number of each others patents - we're then in a position where open source is totally out of the question.

certainly, something must be done about patents, but the nullification of all software patents past present and future? that would stifle innovation as much, if not more, than the current system.