Re: reviews? ACM's "Intellectual Property In the Age of Universal Access"

On 10/08/1999, Bruce Hayden <bhayden[_at_]ieee.org> wrote:
>
> On Fri, 08 Oct 1999, Sam Byassee <sam_byassee[_at_]shmm.com> wrote:
> >
> > Although Samuelson may tend to navigate some of the more populist
> > currents of the mainstream, I don't think she is generally considered
> > to be outside of it. The ACM is an organization for computing
> > professionals, rather than for the business side of the information
> > technology industry, and many of her ACM columns appear intended to
> > point out and explain the differences in interests between those two
> > groups, as those interests are embodied in policy-making activities on
> > the national and international levels. I do agree that her columns
> > are some of the most articulate and layperson-accessible generally
> > available discussions of these legal issues.
>
> I am not so sure that she really is always in the mainstream. She
> dropped off of one of the lists that I subscribe to a couple of years
> ago after continually having her views attacked. In any case, I would
> hardly call her position on software patents in particular, or indeed
> the remainder of her Manifesto in general mainstream.
>

Mainstream among whom? I think Pam Samuelson is well within the mainstream among technologists, and indeed is probably a high protectionist by the standards of most engineers. Practicing IP lawyers are a much more pro-protection group, and she may be more likely to be at odds with them.

But whatever else she is, there is no question Pam is damn smart.

Mark Lemley
<mlemley[_at_]mail.law.utexas.edu> Received on Mon Oct 11 1999 - 14:36:41 GMT