[Benjo]

Discussions like this strike me as pointless. It's pretty easy to imagine a better patent system. We don't have one because incumbents who benefit from the current system have disproportionate influence over the politicians who could reform the system. Until that problem is solved, this and many other broken systems will never be reformed.

Blaming individual programmers for patent applications, which are probably incentivized by their employers, seems harsh. This isn't a problem that's going to be solved by a some optimistic idealists.

[wpietri]

Sure, a few programmers won't solve it, but that's ok. Given the massive harm software patents do, even a modest refusal to participate could yield significant harm reduction.

And the point of discussion is pretty clear: it's to help shape and propagate the kind of norm that Fowler is arguing for. Namely, most programmers knowing that participating in filing bullshit patents is an unprofessional activity.

[guelo]

If developers all united against filing software patents it could make a difference. I admit that I have cooperated in the filing of dumb patents before, but next time that happens I will refuse. Fire me if you have to.

[jwingy]

I agree that we don't, and maybe never will have a reformed patent system due to the massive influence lobbyists have over our politicians. In fact, this is probably the core reason for almost every problem we have in public policy today.

I'd like to see more people talking about wanting reform of our political system and the influence money has on our politicians rather than have people wasting energy talking about the symptoms of the problem.

But alas, who will watch the watchmen?