Chaining Open Source Software: The Case Against Software Patents :: Technology Essays

Chaining Open Source packet package The Case Against Softw be PatentsSoftware has become an integral part of our society. The economic success of our region depends on the success of the packet industry. Open extension packet, software which maprs are allowed to characterise and redistribute, is a very important part of the software industry. Unfortunately, the increased use of software patents threatens the future of this type of software.The importance of open source software is evident in the number of people who make use of it. roughly users do not realize that they make use of open source software because much of this software lies on servers. Many mesh improvement Providers have Linux, FreeBSD, or an otherwise open source operating arrangement on their frames to provide reliable dial-up service to customers. Most email goes through and through at least one sendmail server or some other open source email server. BIND is the most widely employ software for DNS serv ices---the services that translate server names much(prenominal) as www.gnu.org to a numerical IP address. According to a recent pot by E-Soft of almost 1.5 million web servers, over fifty-percent of web servers get off Apache, an open source web server (Web).Everyone should be concerned about any possible hindrances to open source software. Without this type of software umpteen services would not be widely available today. It is also equiprobable that a decentralized worldwide network such as the Internet would not exist if open source software was not such a force. Software patents have hindered the proliferation of open source software in the past and they could easily damage the future of open source software and the rest of the software industry.Supporters of software patents claim that the involvement of the patent system is needed to provide incentive to innovate new software technology. They take that the developers of new software technology have a right to a monopoly on the technology as it falls under the category of smart property.Many companies that support software patents have large investments in alert patent portfolios. This includes companies such as IBM, Unisys and Microsoft. They collect royalties from their patents which supporters of software patents feel they are entitled to.Supporters of software patents believe that recent advancements in the strength of software patent protection give a powerful new ratified tool to software developers (High Court). Their belief is that the software industry is except suffering growing pains and should endure while the legal system clarifies law.