From: strydom@cs.sun.ac.za (HJ Strydom)
Subject: Why Patents on that???
Organization: University of Stellenbosch, RSA
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 13:36:29 GMT

Once upon a time when the world was small and man was few the biggest event of
the day was story time. Children would sit and listen to Granddad relate
stories of the past. Game hunting(including Grandma), Tool making, Discovering
fire, What is eddible and what ain't, and all those stories guaranteed to 
impress the little offspring. 
Later the offspring developed a method of recording these stories (and a few
of their own) on rock. Science took off in a big way and clay tablets were
invented to substitute rockface (To much hard work to chip at the old block).
These were bulky an fragile and the new generation didn't care much for dads
squibles in the sand. With all the "carefull there" and "don't touch"'s the
new generation developed papirus(named after some sort of Dinasorus).
This new material was lightweight, strong and didn't take as much space as the
previous materials. Quite a break through for mankind concidering that it
facilitated the first library. Now everybody had access to history as told by
Great Grandfather and verified by Grandfather. (as usual-who listens to dad- 
anyway ? ).
Enough of media. The fact is that every generation had a chance to build on
the previous generations's knowledge. From discovering fire came cooking, 
melting of metals, firefighting, etc. From melting metal came all sorts of
artwork. Making ploughs, knives, spears, jewelery, money, armoury of ever
changing format.
Discovering the wheel led to all sorts of aplications. Backbreaking stone
carrying became extinct. Wagons of sorts were designed that were pulled by
womenfolks(making walking unfashionable for men). Trade and industry boomed
with all the produce that was moved around. Wars were fought on a grander
scale because the Generals had wheels.
Then came the twentieth century. Science had escalated to a height that made
even the scientists dizy. Electricity were discovered. There came a whole
cosmos of applications and appliances using electricity as the energy source.
Telephone, Radio, Gramaphone, Toasters, TV, Lightbulbs, CRT, Lazer, You name
it. Also came the internal combustion engin (model T Ford), Aeroplanes, Trains
Subs etc. (I got all these in an ensyclopedia). A few men were landed on the
moon and a machine was built to help mankind think.(no your'e wrong- it wasn't
invented for programming.)
Then came the monster that prompted this article. Patents & Copy rights. What
an injustice to mankind. Through all the ages knowledge was shared to further
civilization. Kids had to know how to make fire. Never were they discouraged
(like us) to experiment and build on existing technology. They could discover
a foundry. They could go on to discover electricity as the new generation fire.
Us - We - are told for instance by daddy Big Blue that we may not use it's 
proprietary technology (to build on). If we want anything to look like it or
feel (behave) like it(this is obviously including compatables) we will have 
to face the consequinces. Another joker is a leading Spreadsheet
inventer. A briliant invention but also a no-no as far as including or using
some of the invention in other developements. Nobody is allowed to build
on and improve. 
I don't agree with copying and selling for the sake of profits but why 
restrict to the degree that no-one can improve and build on inventions?.
Licencing manufacturing processes is common place. This control the profiteer 
and rightly so because he only copies and does not create anything new.
The question now is. Why are we getting so restricted ?. Why be so
over protective of knowledge ?. What is wrong with improving exponentially on
yesterdays technology ?. Are we headed for destruction if allowed to go for
bigger and better ?. Is it time that we tell money hungry corporations to 
lay off so that we can go for it ?.
Let me hear your views please.

Paul van Rensburg
Cost Accountant End User.

The author of this artical does not have access to the internet, so
please send any possible responses to me at strydom@cs.sun.ac.za rather than at 
9119175@sunvax.sun.ac.za.  I take it on me to ensure that Paul van Rensburg
receive all responses via E-mail to me or postings to the internet.

Jacques Strydom
University of Stellenbosch, South-Africa.

Newsgroups: comp.software-eng