.NET going open source(sort of)

[Brian Vincent]

On 10/4/07, Stephan Rose <kermos at somrek.net> wrote:
> But just because code, that implements the same functionality looks
> similar?? Well of COURSE it looks similar...it is trying to do the same
> thing!
>
> I mean seriously, how does any of this stuff have legal ground? Is the
> US system seriously that screwed up?

I shouldn't bother responding.. however..

Let's say you're a huge pharmaceutical company and you manage to
develop an AIDS vaccine.  At the end of the day you've probably spent
billions and billions of dollars and all you really end up with is a
chemical formula.  That chemical formula then takes several more
billions of dollars in order to be tested and certified for use.
Should some other company be allowed to just come along and copy that
chemical formula after the other company has invested so much time and
energy?  Most people generally agree that wouldn't be fair.

Now, regarding software design, I think there needs to be strict
limits on what qualifies as software patents, etc.  I would think if
Google wanted to show everyone their code it would unfair if someone
came along and started their own search engine based on it.
Fortunately I'm too dumb to have a solution so I don't have to worry
about such things.

-Brian