> pia@linux.org.au wrote:
> 
> Hi Ron, 
> 
> Ronald Skeoch writes: 
> 
> > On Wed, 2004-08-04 at 08:28, Arjen Lentz wrote:
> => I believe you are missing the point
> > we are not talking about australian patents but,
> > already issued US patents issued through a broken system
> > being accepted here.
> > perid of review is over, to overturn same will cost you say $us 500K
> > (we know that Microsoft and others will defend strongly)

Existing foreign patents will not automatically apply within Australia.  An Australian 
patent over the same invention will need to be issued.  However, the scope for the 
grant of such a patent has been broadened and the agreement requires Australia to 
move the administration of its system closer to what the US does (the terms they use 
are that the parties will "work together" etc., but we know what that means)

**** section break!

This is an appropriate opportunity to restate something I have said before:  

The main, in fact, in my opinion, the only, significant threat to open source is a 
political one.  

The grant of egregious monopolies through the patent system is a prime example of 
how the political process will be used to attack open source (although there are other 
drivers, this is one of the effects). 

I cannot overstate how important it is to get the message out to the community about 
the importance of open source and the dangers that it, and the rest of the industry are 
facing.  I cannot overstate the need for political activism in this area.  That doesn't 
mean we need to be zealots, but we all need to be proactive in evangelising open 
source. 

I actually think we need to somehow fund a collection of strategy and policy 
documents that can support open source participants. From my experience the people 
in the industry are smart and motivated.  We will all be much more effective if we have 
preprepared arguments and a common approach. 


Brendan
[IAAL BTINLA]