[OS:N:] (no subject)

I am new to this list but some of the posts I find interesting so far. 
By the way I write you will soon guess that I am a programmer by
profession and not a writer.  C coding does not exactly encourage
spelling prowess in any way.

With the crap flying about SCO there is even more talk now about IP than
there has been for a long time.  I think that many people confuse the
terms about copyright and patent.  In any case I keep seeing posts about
how people feel following their own morals is better than following the
law.  I would suggest following the more restrictive of the two if you 
really want to stay out of trouble.

As a long time programmer I am very much in favor of the original
copyright laws and time frames.  Maybe it is because my parents did not
give me a lot of money but I also do not think I need to fund my
daughters who life.  At some time she will be an adult and should make
her own way in life.  I would like to see a world where that is
possible.

I think there is a small percentage of the population that has way too
much power and money for the good of society.  I am a dedicated
capitalist but I am not trying to pay off congress to pass legislation
that give unfair advantage to me.  Lets face it the bubble occured
because a few people with money and not a lot of intellegence paid a
bunch of managers to create money for them.  The managers for the most
part had very little knowledge of their products other than how to
market them long enough to go IPO, sell off and run for the hills.  Now
that it no longer works so well they have to find another scheme.  That
seems to be to abandone the people they got to do the actual work and
look for slave labor somewhere else.  When that does not work they will
leave them in the dust and go onto another scheme.

Wall street is the driving force behind all this.  Wall street has
nothing to do with creating companies to provide quality products and
services and on the way provide living for good hard workers.  It is
actually a pox on our society that allows people to manipulate others to
make a buck.  It needs to be controlled enough to ensure the controllers
are telling the public the truth.  It is a governments responsibility to
control bad elements of the society.

That is why laws are supposed to be enacted.  Not to give any portion of
society undo power.  Laws should be seen as way to bring truth to a
situation.  If a person is guilty of murder the first and fore most
problem is to bring the truth out to the public.  But not at the expense
of harming innocent individuals.

The whole argument has nothing to do about who the providers of the
system are.  It can be big companies or small companies or individuals,
etc.  Copyright is in reality a simple statement that says I wrote this
and I am reserving the right to decide who uses it.  If you don't like
it then do it for yourself.  Patents are basically a bad thing.  It
gives inordinate power to an owner IF THEY HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO DEFEND
IT.  Thats right.  I know a couple of patent holders that big companies
are every day cheating on them.  When contacted the big companies always
say.  So sue me.  If you last 5 years then you deserve the bit your
laywer leaves you.

So, as long as somebody with much money can pay off the politicos  you
can't win.  Until we kick the payed off bastards (most of congress and
especially Bush) out we do not stand a chance.




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