freeciv in trouble?

[heiminglee]

index page becomes..

Page closed

This page is temporarily closed in protest against software patents. Websites may soon be closed down regularly due to software patents. Software patents can get you prosecuted for publishing texts you wrote yourself!

You will be redirected to swpat.ffii.org in 45 seconds for more information. To enter this site, click here.

[CapTVK]

Heiminglee,

Freeciv isn't in trouble (at least not yet). This forms part of a worldwide freeware protest all over the net against changes in EU software patent law.

[Frozzy]

Please elaborate

[CapTVK]

I know I should have posted a after " at least not yet".

Basically the protest is about increasing the scope in EU patent law to include basic software patents. Basically the EU wants the patent law to come in line with the american patent law were you can also patent vague things like ideas or business methods or even basic actions implemented in software like Amazon does with its "one-click-buy"-patent. However you could go even further and also patent basic things like "the scrollbar", "action buttons" or closer to home various gamemechanisms employed in a civ game, "culture"-patent anyone?

There's a current proposal lying at the EU to be voted on. That's what the protest is for.

[heiminglee]

ic

i heard it in other places. but haven't seen the page like that

[Frozzy]

Originally posted by CapTVK
I know I should have posted a after " at least not yet".

Basically the protest is about increasing the scope in EU patent law to include basic software patents. Basically the EU wants the patent law to come in line with the american patent law were you can also patent vague things like ideas or business methods or even basic actions implemented in software like Amazon does with its "one-click-buy"-patent. However you could go even further and also patent basic things like "the scrollbar", "action buttons" or closer to home various gamemechanisms employed in a civ game, "culture"-patent anyone?

There's a current proposal lying at the EU to be voted on. That's what the protest is for.

If that's the case then I give FreeCiv a double

[geeslaka]

Triple

[Leland]

Triple =

[CapTVK]

Thanks for the numerous 's guys.

But it's also important that we keep spreading the word around. The EU vote has been postponed tilll 22 sept. That means we only have a few more days to make our concerns known.

[maciek]

Thanks to patents, soon we may not be able to use or have to pay for Flash/Java applets because University of California owns the patent for web browser plugins.

[Asmodean]

I think I'll patent my hairstyle. Everyone with a hairstyle similar to mine will have to get haircut or face the consequences.

This is ridiculous. Of course it should be impossible to patent a concept. Go Freeciv

Asmodean

[telex4]

Originally posted by CapTVK
Basically the EU wants the patent law to come in line with the american patent law

Just a note of clarification: the EU doesn't want patent law to come into line with American patent law... it wants to clarify the EU's position, since existing legislation is a bit fuzzy. However the majority those who have drafted the legislation are legalising a lot of software patents because they misunderstand the distinction between pure software, and software used in machinery. The pro-legislation camp even say they want to avoid cases like Amazon's one-click-shopping patent. So it appears as though we are trying to come in line with America, when we're not.