Hi, On Tuesday 29 Mar 2005 1:10 pm, Aditya Godbole wrote: > Hetal Rach wrote: > > The following news item may be of interest to PLUG. > > http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=86454 > > Wow, I didn't know that our beaurocrats had some brains as well :) Why do you say that ?? The article is only about *the likelyhood * of the Patents Ordinance being reversed and that too only for what they call "software-related inventions". This just includes software in embedded devices and such. The legality of software patents for any other kind of software is still very much in place.
That is a very disturbing thing. Our bureaucrats are actually just clueless. The only reason the reversal of the ordinance is being considered for the "software-related inventions" is (like the article mentioned) "Multinational electronics companies such as LG, Nokia, Siemens, Philips and Samsung had obtained a spate of Indian patents on sundry mechanical applications of software. According to sources, over 150 patents on "technical effects of software" had been granted in the country even prior to the December Ordinance. These patents were granted despite the legal ambiguity that had prevailed prior to issuance of the Ordinance." The bureaucrats are under the false impression that patents for software are a good thing. This notion ironically is being perpetrated by our very own Indian IT industry which largely idolizes companies like Microsoft and as such thinks that the best way to protect software/IP is through patents. > The discussion would be fruitful in the meeting only if someone knows > and has understood the clauses of the recent patent bill that are > applicable to software. I agree. Regards Steve -- ______________________________________________________________________ Pune GNU/Linux Users Group Mailing List: (plug-mail@plug.org.in) List Information: http://plug.org.in/mailing-list/listinfo/plug-mail Send 'help' to [EMAIL PROTECTED] for mailing instructions.
