[Discuss] FYI: We the People...

[bogstad at pobox.com (Bill Bogstad)]

On Thu, Nov 3, 2011 at 8:35 AM, Edward Ned Harvey <blu at nedharvey.com> wrote:
>> From: discuss-bounces+blu=nedharvey.com at blu.org [mailto:discuss-
>> bounces+blu=nedharvey.com at blu.org] On Behalf Of Hsuanyeh Chang
>>
>> Petitioning President Obama to End Software Patents.
>
> Pres. Obama doesn't have control over it.
> See the recent white house press release, telling people to stop bugging him
> about it. ?It's controlled by congress and the judicial system.

That's a little disingenuous.   Sure, he doesn't decide patent law any
more then he decides health care law.  It involves legislation which
Congress passes and he signs (or vetoes).  That doesn't mean he can't
lobby for things he wants.  And he could probably make changes in the
operations of the patent office via executive order which would make a
difference.

> Besides, there are solid arguments both for and against it. ?Arguments I'd
> rather not see on this list because they will go forever, and we won't
> represent the people who actually have a stake in the matter anyway.

Given that these issues were discussed on this list recently, I agree
that there isn't much point in discussing it again.  I do take
exception to what appears to be your suggestion that people here don't
have a stake in the matter.   At least some of the people here are
software developers and virtually all of us make use of free/open
software which has been impacted by patents in the past.  We
definitely DO have a stake in the matter.

Bill Bogstad