Big trolls vs. small trolls: The real battle behind patent reform

Link To Article

Orig Post Date:  2013.11.22
Source:  InfoWorld
My Comments:
Interesting article about how large technology firms want to be free to troll their patents and at the same time be protected from smaller patent troll firms.
Personally I have never understood software patents since I've never understood how one can patent a thought process.  When I write code I set down and analyze a problem and think of a way to calculate a solution to the problem.  For example many years in the past if I needed the average for three numbers I might have devised the formula,

A = ( v1 + v2 + v3) / 3

Since this was a new solution I apply for and get a software patent for:

 A = (v1 + v2 + v3 + ... + vN) / N

which is a general solution for solving an average.  Sometime later when another coder independently writes an equation to solve an average for three numbers,

vA = (s1 + s2 + s3) / 3

which is extremely similar to my general solution.  So I contact them and demand royalties for violating my patent.  Now I realize this example is extremely simple but that is the principal and it makes understanding software patent difficult for me.

W.C.

Did a Top Obamacare Tech Official Mislead Congress About the Decision Not to Implement Obamacare's Shopping Feature?

Link To Article

Orig Post Date:  2013.11.22
Source:  Reason
My Comments:
Interesting article on the accuracy of the statement by Deputy Assistant IT Director Chao that there was a technical reason for not allowing the "anonymous shopper" option on the Healthcare.gov site and that political reasons did not exist.

W.C.  

Democracy and the Filibuster

Link To Article

Orig Post Date:  2013.11.24
Source: Creators
My Comments:
Interesting article on the real history of the filibuster and the fact that this so called "nuclear. option" does not really have any constitutional issues nor does the filibuster date back to the time of the founders.
I do remember that it was not that long ago that the Republicans had a majority in the senate and threatened to adopt this same rule change when the Democrats were using the same tactics to block nominations coming to a vote.  The thing Sen Reid needs to remember is that when the tide swings the other way and the Republicans again a the majority they will already have this rule change already in place to block filibusters by the Democrats.
It a lot like the line-item-veto.  Both parties are willing to trust their president with this power but neither is willing to trust a president from the other party with this power.  Well what kept the nomination filibuster in place when the Republicans were in power was the fear of not being able to use it when they needed it.
I tend to think Sen Reid and his friends lost sight of this and will be insisting that the filibuster rule be reestablished when their party is again a lame duck majority.  The problem is the Republicans will then be able to restore this new rule rightly claiming the last minute rule change was the work of a lame duck majority.  If not changed back  by Reid and company the new Republican majority will not have any reason to change it to allow filibusters by their opponents.

W.C.