Social products vs. private property Opponents of software ownership rights have long argued for a community of programmers in which all the tools and products are shared resources. But the issue is not simply one of a better means for standardisation. Computer programs are complex social products and not simply the result of any individual's work. The computerisation of society could make possible a future in which the basic needs of every human being can be provided for with a minimum of physical labour and a maximum of automation. Already this revolutionary technology is making its way into all aspects of life, forcing through a rearrangement of social relations on a local, national and world scale.
Computer technology is able to leap over linguistic, cultural and national barriers.
One notable example is Microsoft Chairman William Gates, who played a significant role in the emergence of the personal computer. The myopic greed of men like Gates is in contrast to the character of great inventors from previous periods. In the 1740s, when capitalism was emerging as the economic and social framework for a revolutionary advance in man's productive forces, Ben Franklin explained why he turned down an offer from the Governor of Pennsylvania to patent the Franklin stove. That we enjoy great Advantages from the Invention of others, we should be glad of an opportunity to serve others by invention of ours and this we should do freely and generously. The WSWS invites your comments.