Free?

[Steven Schveighoffer]

On Thu, 27 Oct 2011 02:39:29 -0400, Russel Winder <russel at russel.org.uk>  
wrote:

> On Wed, 2011-10-26 at 17:50 -0400, Steven Schveighoffer wrote:
> [ . . . ]
>> But today we have patents of these things, because they stifle
>> innovation.  It creates artificial barriers that only exist because  
>> people
>> have gamed the system.
>
> I assume you are based in the USA, since "we" here in the UK do not
> allow patents on software.  It is currently explicitly stated as not
> being patentable in its own right.  Software within machines can be
> covered by a patent for the machines, but software cannot be patented on
> its own.

Yes, I'm talking about US patent system.  I wish we had the UK system.

And even if you are in the UK, you are affected by the US patent system  
because software you write that may be infringing on US patents cannot be  
sold in the US without being subject to lawsuit.

-Steve