From slashdot linking to an nytimes article
quote:
The US Patent Office has announced new plans to reform the patent system - and right up there at the front is open-source software. Techworld argues that it is in fact open-source software that has been the driving force behind the reform." From the New York Times article: "At a meeting last month with companies and organizations that support open-source software (software that can be distributed and modified freely), including I.B.M., Red Hat, Novell and some universities, officials of the patent office discussed how to give patent examiners access to better information and other ways to issue higher-quality patents. Two of the initiatives would rely on recently developed Internet technologies. An open patent review program would set up a system on the patent office Web site where visitors could submit search criteria and subscribe to electronic alerts about patent applications in specific areas.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/10/technology/10blue.html
Maybe this could put a stop to MS putting patents on things like double clicking http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/06/02/1086058889577.html?oneclick=t… a button on a pda...
BTW Souri I can never remember how to do URLS properly in forum code. Could you put it in the help we see on the left when typing a message?
The article looked to me like an attempt to link open-source to patent reform specifically to get published on slashdot. putting things on teh web and sharing information openly is quite different from open source.
(BTW: The 'Sumea Website Related' forum's the best spot for enhancement suggestions)