Not crypto, but this list has moved out onto IPR issues before, so..

[Julian T. J. Midgley]

On Thu, 3 May 2001 David_Biggins@usermgmt.com wrote:

> I guess this is the start of software patents then...   Not mentioned in
> the story,  but the EU patent office has to dig itself out of that hole
> somehow...

In what way does introducing software patents constitute digging oneself
*out* of a hole?

The lesson to be learnt from the USA would appear to be that software
patents are prone to abuse, are rarely adequately understood/researched by
those granting them, are consequently granted even when they ought to have
been declared invalid and serve /only/ to redistribute wealth in the
direction of the lawyers.  They stifle innovation, place small companies
at the mercy of corporate behemoths, and, so far as I can tell, have no
useful place in society.

Julian 

-- 
Julian T. J. Midgley			http://www.xenoclast.org
Cambridge, England.                       PGP Key ID: 0xBCC7863F