Re: open source. was Closed system (was: PC connection via twinax ?)

Pat,
    By paraphrasing my post with your reply you made it seem like I was
questioning whether or not IBM was the leader in patent filings. I was
not. I don't know if this was just an accident or if you might have
misunderstood my post.
    My reply questioned Leif's statement that "most patent filings are
to keep anyone from using the idea."
    I am aware that IBM has been a leader in filing patents for many
years. I am aware that IBM has had patents on many things from "Printing
with a printer directly attached to a computer" to manufacturing
processes for memory chips.
    If Leif's statement is true, then more than half of all IBM's patent
filings (or anyone's filings) are simply to keep ideas from being used.

Pat Barber wrote:

>Here is a short story on this particular discussion:
>
>http://news.ft.com/ft/gx.cgi/ftc?pagename=View&c=Article&cid=FT37ZFJNTHC&live=true&useoverridetemplate=IXL8L4VRRBC&tagid=ZZZC00L1B0C
>
>As you can see, IBM has led the pack for a number of years....
>
>
>Chris Rehm wrote:
>
>>Most? What is the percentage? Where do you get this statistic? What
>>evidence do you have that this happens with any regularity, let alone
>>that "most" of patent filings are in this category?
>>

--
Chris Rehm
javadisciple@earthlink.net
If you believe that the best technology wins the
marketplace, you haven't been paying attention.