Survival Arts

Yep, it's all bluster. Just like Microsoft patenting the "wheel" mouse, and a reported 10 other software/hardware patents a day, it has nothing to do with innovation. It is a defensive measure.

In L.Neil Smith's "Probability Broach", the US Patent and Trademark office was never created. That's one extreme, the other is what we have now which is perpetual copyright since Congress continues to "extend" copyright every time the Mouse gets close to going public domain.

In the middle is the "original intent" of a strictly limited period of copyright/patent. But just as the original intent of the 2nd amendment has been ignored, so is this one.

Innovation will happen no matter what. At least with P2P I get to try new and different music before I spend absurd $$ to buy a CD.

Curt-

People by and large only respect intellectual property rights that they consider reasonable. Most people recognize that authors are entitled to receive royalties for their work, even though the final physical product, the book itself, is largely a production of the printer. Most people also consider it reasonable, however, for the copyright to eventually expire. Books aren't software, however, and a 95 year copyright for software seems laughable. I also don't remember the last time a book I was reading suddenly slammed itself shut and then required 10 minutes of prying before I could open it back up to continue reading. Nor has any book I've been reading suddenly turned blue and lost its last three chapters.

I believe that as a consequence of the ridiculousness of the application of the same standards to software as books, people don't respect software copyrights as strongly as they would an author's copyright. Knowing what it takes to create good software, I don't balk at the price. I also haven't bothered to upgrade Microsoft Office for several years, since I haven't seen anything offered in the later versions that warrants the expense. I personally prefer to buy software that is subscription-based, since the up-front costs are usually lower, and I feel that I always have the option to switch to a competing package.

Bob,

Take a look at www.openoffice.org

The danger with using Microsoft office is one of file formats. Microsoft is trying to patent/copyright those too, and with the DMCA prohibiting reverse engineering there will come a time in the not so distant future that you will not be able to read anyone elses .DOC files, nor they yours.

Curt-