From: "Geo." 

"Adam Flinton"  wrote in message
news:3ed081b1{at}w3.nls.net...

> So would you then also look at forcing dominant app vendors (e.g.
> AutoCAD) to drop their prices etc as well or simply to port onto other
> OS'es or both?

Adam, If I ruled the world the software market would work like this:

Because in the digital world things tend to gravitate towards monopoly, I
would promote monopoly as legal and desirable and force competition with a
simple rule to be enforced any time a product gained over 50% market share.
That rule would be the product must permit complete competition or we pull
the copyright and it becomes public domain. You may have monopoly but not
control.

In the case of AutoCAD or Word or Excel, that means they would have to
publish their file format and allow anyone else to use it as it is by
definition the standard format at that point. Changing the format would
require a public filing of the new format a year in advance so everyone
could be using it when they release it.

In the case of OS, all communications formats, all file systems, all API's,
all security formats, anything that you need to know to create a program,
repair utility, or a competing OS that is compatible with it would have the
same requirements, fully published, free, and full notification of any
changes a year in advance.

In order to get a copyright on software, a full and complete copy of all
source code and compilers would need to be filed with LoC on permanent
media (read that as CD/DVD not tape) for any versions, updates, patches,
etc. Any attempts to stop competition by creating incompatibilities would
result in loss of copyright and release of all source code to public
domain, no other penalty would be needed.

I believe this would serve the public interest with a minimal of
limitations on people who make a living writing software. They could decide
the future of their product but they would be forced to maintain market
share via good healthy competition.

Geo.

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