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Good post until...
... you get to your last paragraph:

Only GPL and LGPL like so-called "viral" licenses effectively grants all downstream users the right to freely use the sofware. A license that even the largest of patent portfolio holders, such as IBM, are adopting to collaboratively develop new software. This, along with customer demand, is the major reason that Linux is being widely adopted and not one or more of the BSD based distributions.

Come on, now.
Are you really saying that IBM is being altruistic?

The basis for corporate support of Linux is deniability. The reason for its use is that it's cheap.

No one company has legal responsibility for Linux, so all are safe. For a while, legal attacks on Linux were in fact like nailing down mercury. This couldn't last as litigation became more sophisticated, and a Linux.org is evolving to defend against the patent attacks that will be threatened.

Notice threatened, not filed.
Send out a letter with a good, verifiable patent, and it's not going to be solved by writing some new code. Customers will get leary, fast.

Linux is large companies finding a way around legal restrictions to get cheap software. And it's not going to last forever. Have a good run while it lasts, though.
Posted by: Anton Philidor   Posted on: 10/04/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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Do the right thing  Tim Patterson | 10/04/04
No problem here!  dg mh | 10/04/04
*lol*  eLurker | 10/04/04
Can somebody help me about patents?  Kamakazii | 10/04/04
Against Software Patents and full rational  David Mohring | 10/04/04
Good post until...  Anton Philidor | 10/04/04
Not altruistic but realistic  David Mohring | 10/04/04
Yes, patents are good.  Anton Philidor | 10/04/04
Challenge: Show me a "good" Software patent.  David Mohring | 10/04/04
Only patent attornies need apply  Anton Philidor | 10/04/04
Exactly!  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
Not so  Tim Patterson | 10/04/04
Patent things that are meant to be patented  voska | 10/04/04
Are you suggesting...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
A Challenge Thrice: Then point out a "good" software patent  David Mohring | 10/04/04
Are you ready for surgery yet?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
Please point to an argument that I have not addressed  David Mohring | 10/04/04
I notice  NemesisNL | 10/04/04
Yes, exactly  voska | 10/04/04
But I am a developer and your answering a question with a question  David Mohring | 10/04/04
Not that easy  Anton Philidor | 10/04/04
So there are no "good" software patents, only "good" Patent attornies?  David Mohring | 10/04/04
Yeah, just like a programmer can make bad open source.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
Yes. And patents will continue...  Anton Philidor | 10/04/04
"... patent / free competition balance to be dialectical, not static"  David Mohring | 10/04/04
And patents actually do some good...  Anton Philidor | 10/04/04
While patents in general my be beneficial, Software patents are not  David Mohring | 10/04/04
David, that is one groups opinion, I can show you others.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
No_Ax_to_Grind, Then please provide links.  David Mohring | 10/04/04
If I were making a theoretical argument for software patents...  Anton Philidor | 10/04/04
Re: Yes. And patents will continue...  none none | 10/04/04
Software patents are wrong! Simple  voska | 10/04/04
Not at all...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
Unlike Linux, your company researches?  Anton Philidor | 10/04/04
Exactly, the problem is open source can't.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
Re: Unlike Linux, your company researches?  none none | 10/04/04
Not their domain  IT_User | 10/04/04
Nonsense  NemesisNL | 10/04/04
A couple reasons here.  voska | 10/04/04
Software Patents  charliech | 10/04/04
I got a few.  doe_z | 10/04/04
But does not the copyright protect you?  voska | 10/04/04
Re: Can somebody help me about patents?  P. Douglas | 10/04/04
LOL, Sun, wearing the other shoe this time  FilledOut | 10/04/04
Yeah, come easy, go easy.  Anton Philidor | 10/04/04
exactly  NemesisNL | 10/04/04
Against Software Patents and full rational  David Mohring | 10/04/04
Thanks 4 the info  Kamakazii | 10/04/04
Problems with your "game theory" argument  Anton Philidor | 10/04/04
Counter...  doe_z | 10/04/04
Check the attic for valuable antiques.  Anton Philidor | 10/04/04
So...  doe_z | 10/04/04
The sky is falling....  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
Challenge: Show me a "good" Software patent.  David Mohring | 10/04/04
Sorry, patent searchs cost money.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
You said it more briefly than I. (NT)  Anton Philidor | 10/04/04
Sorry, you liar, the USPTO provide a free web based search  David Mohring | 10/04/04
Yeah, and I can look at...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
Well??? Would you?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
David, I am point you to the above post.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
But if a doctor showed you an Xray of a dog.  David Mohring | 10/04/04
Sorry, wrong.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
Axe actually is right  NemesisNL | 10/04/04
If youhire a patent lawyer, it costs to do the search!  B.O.F.H. | 10/04/04
They can't....  el1jones | 10/04/04
They can't ... disprove the existance of Unicorns either  David Mohring | 10/04/04
oh come on david...  NemesisNL | 10/04/04
I was mostly agreeing with you....(and unicorns do exist)  el1jones | 10/04/04
After some quick research, I've concluded that...  el1jones | 10/04/04
Microsoft Next  tero_t_vaananen@... | 10/04/04
You forget who is partners with MS.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
Microsoft is parterned with Kodak?  voska | 10/04/04
You bet they are.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
why?  V Sanders | 10/04/04
Ah, so you prefer ignorance.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
Not so sure about that  voska | 10/04/04
Nope  NemesisNL | 10/04/04
Great news!  George Mitchell | 10/04/04
Frankly, your dead wrong.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
ms is losing teir monopoly  V Sanders | 10/04/04
Gee, I can't tell.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
No one else thinks so?  IT_User | 10/04/04
Sure  NemesisNL | 10/04/04
Hogwash and you know it.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
Not directly  NemesisNL | 10/04/04
Sorry, Kodak started this long ago.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
I am up to speed  NemesisNL | 10/04/04
No, Kodak filed the patent long ago.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
So who's not up to speed  NemesisNL | 10/04/04
patents yes  NemesisNL | 10/04/04
You are right, it's a very old patent.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
No, but they have tried to extort money using them  Taz_z | 10/04/04
Offering a license is extortion? Hmmm, can you say GPL?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
Please tell me what patents and GPL have in common.  Taz_z | 10/04/04
They both restrict and limit what may be done.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
Only if you redistribute it or sell it  Taz_z | 10/04/04
Yup, same as a patent.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
Please show me this  Taz_z | 10/04/04
Sorry, you are wrong.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
Speaking of getting a clue,  Taz_z | 10/04/04
Extort?  rapson | 10/04/04
Going a little overboard there, aren't you?  Taz_z | 10/04/04
Taz, this isn't about Microsoft...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
I agree.  Taz_z | 10/04/04
Taz, stop reaching for straws. K? (nt)  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
Can you say "BayStar"?  George Mitchell | 10/04/04
What's Next?  coffeenite | 10/04/04
has anyone patented painting pictures of dogs or anything like that  V Sanders | 10/04/04
David Morphing: You asked...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
yep...  NemesisNL | 10/04/04
Simply isn't true...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
We are just at the beginning of this ordeal  NemesisNL | 10/04/04
I've heard that for 30 years. Hasn't happened yet.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
software patents are fairly new  NemesisNL | 10/04/04
Pardon me... Take a look at IBM's patent holdings.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
Nobody has "been at it" for 30 years  IT_User | 10/04/04
Not true  IT_User | 10/04/04
Meaning of innovation  Anton Philidor | 10/04/04
You hit the nail on the head.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
Yeah, the sky is falling  IT_User | 10/04/04
Re: David Morphing: You asked...  none none | 10/04/04
Notice who is against patents in the talkbacks.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
Notice who is getting Sued,not open source but Microsoft's customers  David Mohring | 10/04/04
Never happened. No MS user has been sued.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
Man get your facts straigt  NemesisNL | 10/04/04
Point being, NO MS use has been sued.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
*user*  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
No need to draw  NemesisNL | 10/04/04
Nice rant, have anything of value to contribute?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
What is wrong with you people?  none none | 10/04/04
Let's see if I get this right  IT_User | 10/04/04
The history of blood letting. Accounting and actual software patent returns  David Mohring | 10/04/04
Again, the only ones complaining is the have nots.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
You mean Enron was innocent of accounting fraud?  David Mohring | 10/04/04
Man, you really are reaching for any straw.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
David, you can relax now. You got him.  Taz_z | 10/04/04
It you think ranting about Enron is On Topic. OK.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
She is absolutely right...  BitTwiddler | 10/04/04
Not true.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
It's not as if Americans want to compete!  B.O.F.H. | 10/04/04
What has your post to do with anything in this story?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/04/04
What are you whining about now?  B.O.F.H. | 10/04/04
After looking at all the posts  CobraA1 | 10/04/04
Patents - The First and Ultimate Open Source Project  secureplay_z | 10/05/04
Sounds good but ...  George Mitchell | 10/05/04

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