Bar code patents thrown out

Not the same thing.: A copyright applies to a particular implementation of an idea. A patent applies to the idea itself. If someone patented the idea of showing dialogs, for instance, you as a developer couldn't use dialogs in your applications without licensing them, even if you used entirely different code to achieve the same result.

This makes sense if you've invented something physical (a thingumajig that does something no one's thought of before). It makes no sense in software. Software patents are a stupid idea, and I hope they all get thrown out. The ability to copyright your methods is fine, and if someone steals your methods they deserve to be punished for it. But the ability to patent an abstract such as a computer program is absurd.; Posted by: Damon K Posted on: 01/28/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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Good Bill4 | 01/28/04

It would be nice... Chris Moller | 01/28/04

You are correct Bill4 | 01/28/04

Wow ! Update victim | 01/28/04

Not the same thing. Damon K | 01/28/04

Not *exactly* true... Frank MacCrory | 01/28/04

Also, at the time - Robert Carnegie | 02/02/04

A good first step AbsolutelyNot | 01/28/04

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