Formulating arguments

When writing letters or discussing patent policy, it's important to plan what message you want to get across.

Don't implicitly shrink the issue

Software patents cause many different problems. If you want to discuss one of those problems, remember to highlight that this is just one of many problems.

For example:

• The patent system's timelines don't work for software, but if they were improved, software still shouldn't be patented.
• Many software patents are of woeful quality, but if quality was improved, the remaining ones would still be bad.
• Software patents harm the software market, BUT the software market is not the only concern.
• Same for SMEs.
• Same for standards.
• Same for innovation.

Try to formulate your arguments as:

• Software patents are not necessary for X, in fact they harm X, but moreover they harm Y.

Related pages on ESP Wiki

• Silly patents
• Analogies
• Organising a campaign
• More than innovation
• More than trolls

Arguments

• Here are a selection of arguments to use:
  • Harm to standards
  • Software innovation happens without patents
  • Software patents stiffle innovation
  • Software patents harm SMEs
  • Incompatible timespans
  • Quality of software patents is particularly bad
  • Preventing competition and entrenching monopolies
  • Freedom of expression
  • Abstraction Physics