[access-uk] Re: Freedom Scientific suit against GW Micro
- From: "Andrew Hodgson" <andrew@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 10 Aug 2008 11:59:00 +0100
Hi,
FS are on new ground this time as they are dealing with software
patents:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_patent_debate
This is quite an interesting article, and there are lots of issues and
places in the world where these don't actually have any legal standing
currently - though the US is not one.
I am disappointed with FS only in that by doing this they are trying to
cripple the competition in my opinion, and I believe that competition in
the AT industry is one of the things which makes things progress - if FS
or GW Micro had the monopoly on the market, I don't believe that there
would be as many new features or enhancements - I deal with banking
products at work which haven't changed in years, simply because everyone
is using the one specific product, and there is no innovation there to
move things on.
Andrew.
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Brian Hartgen
Sent: 09 August 2008 20:45
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Freedom Scientific suit against GW Micro
Just to clarify that a bit further, if I had patented something or put a
lot of work into a product or feature, I would hate the thought that
someone would come along and steal it. Whether that person or group of
people had in fact carried out the work better than I had or in a
different way to my mind is irrelevant. I would have paid for the
privilege of patenting and protecting that item and so I would not want
anyone to copy it.
----- Original Message -----
From: Brian Hartgen <mailto:brian@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Saturday, August 09, 2008 8:35 PM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Freedom Scientific suit against GW
Micro
Kevin, thank goodness someone is now talking some sense!
I thought I was on my own feeling this way but obviously
not.
----- Original Message -----
From: Kevin Lloyd <mailto:kevin.lloyd3@xxxxxxx>
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Saturday, August 09, 2008 8:23 PM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Freedom Scientific suit against
GW Micro
Ray, if someone has patented bullshit then I'm afraid
you may find yourself
as the subject of a suit case after this mail.
You're absolutely right that Arthur C Clarke could have
made a fortune by
suing those who stole his ideas but the fact is that he
spent his time
writing fiction and not patenting ideas.
It is true that it's not a dignified way of going about
your business to sue
your competitors and somehow there's a view on this list
that we're talking
about a pair of charities here. We're not. These are
companies who are
both making a lot of profit from selling products to a
confined market.
There will always be screen reader camps supporting
their own particular
product's vendor and some strange kind of misplaced
loyalty. I'd suggest
you should put this aside and look at the facts.
Freedom Scientific were
the company that introduced place markers and scripting.
If they have
patented the place marker idea and any other company
infringes that patent,
they have every right to feel agrieved and sue.
Copyright and patent laws
are there to protect the companies that put in funding
to research and
develop ideas and technologies and prevent them being
ripped off by other
companies that come along and take those ideas at a
fraction of the price.
I think GW Micro can think themselves lucky that FS
didn't patent other
ideas such as the keyboard training functionality that
Window-eyes brought
in with version 6 that JAWS had in version 3.2 back in
1999 or earlier and
I'm sure there are a few other examples.
Regards.
Kevin
E-mail: kevin.lloyd3@xxxxxxx
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rays Home" <rays-home@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, August 09, 2008 4:32 PM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Freedom Scientific suit against
GW Micro
> Yes, OK colin the place markers scam and legal try on!
>
> I've commented in passing on this one, but all that
could possibly be said
> has been said on the GW list and there blogg.
>
> My view - and I'm a Window-Eyes user - is that if this
sort of thing is
> upheld by the US courts, and it's going to a jury
hearing - the law is
> indeed an Ass! those who reckon to be well informed
assert you can sue in
> essence for pinching an idea - which I don't believe
GW was intentionally
> or otherwise doing. Just think how much money Arthur
C Clarke (could)
> have made from the idea of geo-stationary satilites,
which he thought of
> 20 years before one was actually put up.
>
> I say it is one thing to have an idea, quite another
to make it work
> propperly. GW, on the surface, is being sued for
doing it like it should
> have been done from the start, i.e. propperly!
>
> Not that I'm convinced that's wy FS is sueing. The
truth is more likely
> they cannot stomach a superior scripting model which
epens up a more
> powerful scripting capability allied to a much more
open method and
> co-ordination via SCript Central for the wider
production of scripts which
> should no longer be restricted to a tight cotarie or
priesthood of those
> working with a proprietory scripting language.
>
> This is just one ingrediant in the formula for keeping
the price of JFW
> and its gravy train milking more than is tryuly
justified from the sale
> and support of a product that has a bit less going for
it than is
> popularly believed.
>
> Well, that's my 2p - or 4 cents worth! (Note I didn't
do the mark up in
> the other direction, (smile).
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Colin Howard" <colin@xxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [access-uk] Freedom Scientific suit against
GW Micro
>
>
>> Greetings,
>>
>> From: Sun Sounds of Arizona
<bill.pasco@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> Date: Fri, 25 Jul 2008 09:19:01 -0700
>>
>> Much of what you say is true, however, I have to take
issue with two
>> points.
>>
>> 1. You are correct that if it goes on long enough,
the courts will
>> eventually decide on the merits. However, this type
of law suit is
>> rarely
>> intended to go to conclusion by the plaintiff. It is
designed to
>> intimidate. The defendant must defend themselves
legally which is
>> expensive
>> even if they are totally innocent. Many out matched
companies will just
>> fold their tent and back down rather than stay the
course in court. This
>> is
>> how they stay in business, but they have to give up
the point, and then
>> spend money to redo the method or technology which
got them in hot water.
>> And this with no legal ruling on the merits. Just as
with Serotek, it's
>> bullying plain and simple.
>>
>> 2. You said that, if asked by the company lawyers,
we should refrain to
>> comment. I have a big problem with that thinking.
Sure, the principles,
>> FS
>> and GW have to refrain, however, we as free citizens
have every right to
>> say
>> what we think or believe. WE have the right as
consumers to either
>> support
>> GW Micro, or bitch to Freedom Scientific. WE have
the right to boycott,
>> write letters to the editor or what ever we want, and
nothing, as the
>> bill
>> of rights says, should be done to abridge this basic
right. WE may
>> choose
>> as individuals to be silent for fear, or because we
really don't know, or
>> we
>> may be very vocal, even if we are mistaken. WE may
help, we may hurt,
>> there
>> are far more examples of free citizens moving things
in a positive
>> direction
>> through being outspoken then there are of silence
leading to a desirable
>> outcome. As you say, what these two private
companies do effects a great
>> number of us, and we do have a right to weigh in.
>>
>> Bill
>>
>>
>> VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User
Group List.
>> Archived on the World Wide Web at
>> http://listserv.icors.org/archives/vicug-l.html
>> Signoff:
vicug-l-unsubscribe-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>
>
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