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Patents and copyrights are different
Patents are meant to give a monopoly for a limited period as an incentive for investing in research. Then after that period, the public gets the benefit. Trademarks are indefinitely renewable - IBM, AT&T don't have to worry about their names "expiring." But they can pass into the public domain if they are not defended.

So either a patent or trademark can end up in the public domain. In one case, it's certain, irrespective of the holder's actions (well, he does have to pay the fees), in the other it is indefinite but dependent on the holder's actions.
Posted by: IT_User   Posted on: 07/20/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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What happens  zijiang | 07/19/04
The market will most likely be wiped out...  Linux User 147560 | 07/19/04
Patent system run amok!  wshwe | 07/19/04
Agreed, but...  Martin Marvinski | 07/20/04
Very simple  vferrara | 07/20/04
I agree, to a point..  d_jedi | 07/20/04
Here's how  Update victim | 07/20/04
Why not patent software?  d_jedi | 07/20/04
Simple  Fred Fredrickson | 07/19/04
I don't think so.  doe_z | 07/19/04
it depends on how...  ryusen | 07/20/04
methods of plugins?  NemesisNL | 07/20/04
re:  eLurker | 07/21/04
the guy is a admited ms hater  V Sanders | 07/20/04
Patent abuse?  rapson | 07/20/04
The patent holder looses in that instance  quietLee | 07/20/04
Nothing, actually  IT_User | 07/20/04
the courts may decide differently  eLurker | 07/20/04
not true  NemesisNL | 07/20/04
id imagine  eLurker | 07/20/04
Patent term  IT_User | 07/20/04
The 20 was the extension to the 17, it's 37 now(NT)  voska | 07/20/04
37 Years  voska | 07/20/04
Patents and copyrights are different  IT_User | 07/20/04
Antitrust?  d_jedi | 07/20/04
So what?  Zen37 | 07/20/04
Most likely, nothing (except for Macromedia)  Eggs Ackley_z | 07/20/04
They can't do that  quietLee | 07/20/04
Oh no?  Eggs Ackley_z | 07/20/04
we will see  eLurker | 07/20/04
trademarks...  ryusen | 07/20/04
Nope  IT_User | 07/20/04
Depends on what Eolas wants to do  Robert Crocker | 07/20/04
resulting...  eLurker | 07/20/04
Lawsuits about what?  IT_User | 07/20/04
re:  eLurker | 07/20/04
Patents and OSS/GPL  rapson | 07/20/04
yeah  CobraA1 | 07/20/04
the problem  eLurker | 07/21/04
Browser fees  georgep_z | 07/19/04
That statement is about as good as the patent  el1jones | 07/20/04
Good way for them to get creamed  quietLee | 07/20/04
Patents are ba...bad. Microsoft is ba...bad.  Xunil_Sierutuf | 07/20/04
Give up  PmAc_z | 07/20/04
LOL, I'll look into that...  Xunil_Sierutuf | 07/20/04
Eloas Can't Show Bias  PottHead | 07/20/04
Patent licenses almost always show bias  Robert Crocker | 07/20/04
re:  eLurker | 07/20/04
re: re: :P  zkiwi | 07/20/04
ah, but  eLurker | 07/20/04
By "can't"  IT_User | 07/20/04
For once, I'm rooting for MS  el1jones | 07/20/04
Severely broken  Tim Patterson | 07/20/04
No,  d_jedi | 07/20/04
Does This Mean Microsoft Steals Code?  RobertoSalazar | 07/20/04
M$ does not steal code...they borrow it for a time  drichards1953 | 07/20/04
dos  eLurker | 07/20/04
FUD alert!  d_jedi | 07/20/04
no ... not in this case, anyway  eLurker | 07/20/04
Hey..  JustMe99_z | 07/20/04
(nt) Baseless claims about Microsoft? Time for another FUD alert!  d_jedi | 07/20/04
Makes you wish...  billywill | 07/20/04
PATENET != CODE  PmAc_z | 07/20/04
(NT) See my post "Here's how" above.  Update victim | 07/20/04
What's a "Patenet"?  Xunil_Sierutuf | 07/20/04
a net for pate? (nt)  eLurker | 07/21/04
The objective of U of Cal is  michael-t | 07/20/04
MS Finally Getting Theirs  itanalyst | 07/20/04
what?  eLurker | 07/20/04
um...  ryusen | 07/20/04
Eolas to get theirs  FilledOut | 07/20/04
Boo-hoo, the money, the code rewrites! Illegal is still illegal.  YuridaMan | 07/20/04
disagree  eLurker | 07/20/04
This shoudn't be patented in the first place.  CobraA1 | 07/20/04
killing a patent?  wessonjoe | 09/10/04

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