Ditto. That's how I understand it too. :)
Manny wrote:
[snip]
Copyright protects the actual work. This applies to software, movies, books, etc. This applies even if the work is a revisdion of someone else's idea. Just think of all the romance novels that are essentially "Romeo and Juliet" stories. They can be copyrightede.
Patent gives proprietary rights to the IDEA, not just the acvtual work. Thus, if somehow "Romeo and Juliet" plots could be patented, no one could write a novel with the same general plot, and the literary world would be impoverished (well, ok, the pulp fiction literary world at least).
Software copyrights are fine. Software patents, however, are restrict creativity and innovation. Software patents have no place in society.
Yep, I agree with that. One good example of software patent is where the GIF compression algorithm (LZW) was patented by Unisys. Good idea or bad? At least the patent expired last 2004.
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