[Office-commits] r9969 - trunk/campaigns/patents

[sysadmin]

Author: johns
Date: Fri Oct  2 18:08:07 2009
New Revision: 9969

Log:
Minor edits

Modified:
   trunk/campaigns/patents/bilski-supreme-court-brief.mdwn

Modified: trunk/campaigns/patents/bilski-supreme-court-brief.mdwn
==============================================================================
--- trunk/campaigns/patents/bilski-supreme-court-brief.mdwn     Fri Oct  2 
17:41:19 2009        (r9968)
+++ trunk/campaigns/patents/bilski-supreme-court-brief.mdwn     Fri Oct  2 
18:08:07 2009        (r9969)
@@ -14,24 +14,25 @@
 Supreme Court now reviewing patentable scope for the first time since
 1981's *Diamond v. Diehr* case.
 
-End Software Patents (ESP) executive director Ciaran O'Riordan explained, 
"Every software
-patent is a restriction on software developers and users of computers,
-and there are currently 200,000 software patents in the USA.  As well
-as being an unjust restriction on a common household tool, time has
-now also proven software patents to be an economic failure and a
-hindrance to the progress of the useful arts.  This means they've
-failed their consitutional mandate and have no legal legitimacy.  The
-Supreme Court has itself never authorized the patenting of software
-ideas, so there's real hope that this problem can finally be solved."
+End Software Patents (ESP) executive director Ciaran O'Riordan
+explained, "Every software patent is a restriction on software
+developers and users of computers, and there are currently 200,000
+software patents in the USA. As well as being an unjust restriction on
+a common household tool, time has now also proven software patents to
+be an economic failure and a hindrance to the progress of the useful
+arts. This means they've failed their constitutional mandate and have
+no legal legitimacy. The Supreme Court has itself never authorized the
+patenting of software ideas, so there's real hope that this problem
+can finally be solved."
 
 O'Riordan credited the swpat.org wiki contributors for their help,
 saying, "Much of the material for this brief came from our publicly
-editable wiki at swpat.org.  For each point we decided to make, we
-used the wiki to find references and quotes and further information --
-and I hope other brief drafters found it useful too. Contributing to
-this resource is a great way for people to get involved in the
-campaign -- the Bilski case will continue for months, and there is
-still much work to be done to eliminate software patents worldwide."
+editable wiki at swpat.org. For each point we decided to make, we used
+the wiki to find references and quotes and further information -- and
+I hope other brief drafters found it useful too. Contributing to this
+resource is a great way for people to get involved in the campaign --
+the Bilski case will continue for months, and there is still much work
+to be done to eliminate software patents worldwide."
 
 The 44-page brief further details the commonly noted outrageous risks
 and expenses imposed by patents, which leave individuals and small
@@ -39,26 +40,28 @@
 injustices: "This inability to participate on an even basis amplifies
 the problem, but there is also a deeper problem: losing control of
 one’s computing in his or her daily life. Because individuals can
-write software, they can help themselves and solve their own
-problems. Given that software development includes common activities
-such as making a webpage, the freedom to use a computer as you see fit
-for your daily life is a fundamental form of expression, just as using
-a pen and paper is. ... In the context of writing an email reader, a
+write software, they can help themselves and solve their own problems.
+Given that software development includes common activities such as
+making a webpage, the freedom to use a computer as you see fit for
+your daily life is a fundamental form of expression, just as using a
+pen and paper is. ... In the context of writing an email reader, a
 word processor, or an image viewer, being blocked from reading,
 modifying, or writing in the required data format is equivalent to
 being banned from writing a functional program for that task."
 
 In April of 2008, FSF worked with the End Software Patents (ESP)
-campaign which filed an amicus curiae brief in the Court of Appeals
-for the Federal Circuit's (CAFC) hearing of the *in re Bilski*
-case. In October 2008, the CAFC issued its ruling which gutted patents
-on program ideas running on general-purpose computers.  In June of
-this year, the Supreme Court decided to review the case.
+campaign to file an amicus curiae brief in the Court of Appeals for
+the Federal Circuit's (CAFC) hearing of the *in re Bilski* case. In
+October 2008, the CAFC issued its ruling, which gutted patents on
+program ideas running on general-purpose computers. In June of this
+year, the Supreme Court decided to review the case.
 
 The full text of the brief is available online at
 <http://endsoftpatents.org/amicus-bilski-2009>.
 
-More information about the briefs which have been submitted is available at 
<http://en.swpat.org/wiki/Bilski_v._Kappos_amicus_briefs>.
+More information about the briefs which have been submitted is
+available at
+<http://en.swpat.org/wiki/Bilski_v._Kappos_amicus_briefs>.
 
 ### About the End Software Patents campaign
 
@@ -98,8 +101,8 @@
 
 Ciaran O'Riordan  
 Executive Director, End Software Patents  
-+32 487 64 17 54
-esp (at) endsoftwarepatents.org
++32 487 64 17 54  
+esp (at) endsoftwarepatents.org  
 
 
  ###