International Software Patent Protection
The most effective way to introduce the scope of the problem under discussion in this analysis -- that of protection of software -- is for the reader of this analysis to put down this paper, turn to the computer, log on to the Internet, and type in the following URL -- http://www2.bigredh.com/hotline3 (Hawalsheka & Scott, 1999).
There the reader will be invited to download a free software program called Hotline Connect. Once loaded, Hotline Connect takes your computer to a veritable cornucopia of pirated software that can be downloaded free of charge. The front page extols the virtue of the concept, suggesting that this gives you the chance to "browse the Web in ways you never thought possible." Indeed, by following the links of the Hotline Connect software, one can download any number of computer games, software programs, and movies.
These programs are not "Freeware" or "Shareware" but actual operating systems software ranging from Microsoft Office 2000 (45 minute download using DSL, six hour download using 56k) to Doom 3 (currently selling at retail for $54) or the "Blair Witch Project" and some 2,000 other movies. After spending an hour or so browsing through the thousands of linked sites that enable the surfer to "shop for free," one is convinced that the case for software protection is a valid and an essential one. The Software Publisher's Association, a lobbying group estimates that for every copy of legally purchased software in circulation, there are two illegal copies.
Of course, there are mechanisms for protecting the owners of the intellectual property being given away on sites such as "Hotline" (simply one of many similar sites devoted to organized piracy.) The United States Patent and Trademark Office lists ownership of several hundred thousand patents that have been issued to various software creators and publishers. IBM, for instance, holds a wide number of pa...