On CBS.com: Share YOUR travel photos at Amazing Race
BNET Business Network:
BNET
TechRepublic
ZDNet
TalkBack 42 of 84:
Next »
« Previous
Re: Good idea, wrong target
Sorry, but the anti-patent retaliation clause will not hit the real problem causers, because the worst patent pirates are firms of lawyers who buy up old patents and then sue with them.

Agreed. But these guys are as much a threat to proprietary software developers as they are to FOSS developers. As long as there are software patents they will be exploited by any means.


However, a company may have a legitimate patent on technology that was never meant to be put into OSS. This rule says they have to give it up to a pirate who grabbed it and slapped GPL on it, or cancel any GPL development they may be doing.

It's probably more likely that instead of a "pirate who grabbed it" they could be targeting someone who came up with it on his own. One-click check-out? Server load balancing? Accepting a credit card for payment on a sale? All patented and all patently obvious to anyone in the business of ecommerce.

The software industry currently is attempting to persuade Congress that a patent applicant need not have invented anything, that being first in line with the application is sufficient for a government-granted monopoly on the idea.

Retaliation by the GPL is entirely called for.


For a company that is thinking to transition itself into OSS, that sounds like a serious increased risk of going that way.

You mean for a software company, right? Why would a company in the business of changing your oil while you wait think twice about transitioning to FOSS? Or any other company for which software licenses ar a cost and not revenue?


happy
Posted by: none none   Posted on: 01/18/06 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
Reply to Story Reply to Message

Alert moderator to an offensive message

Subscribe to this discussion via Email or RSS

great license!  Linux Geek | 01/17/06
Geeze, you would think ...  Too Old For IT | 01/18/06
Re: Geeze, you would think ...  none none | 01/18/06
You are such a poser  nomorems | 01/18/06
Looks like a great license, and the final version will be even better.  DonnieBoy | 01/17/06
GPL Terms  dhopp@... | 01/18/06
Simply not true!!!  No_Ax_to_Grind | 01/18/06
Notice your own wording?  techboy_z | 01/18/06
Copyright protects absolutley nothing.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 01/18/06
Your knowledge of IP law is patthetic!  B.O.F.H. | 01/18/06
Your example proves nothing  FamilyManFirst | 01/18/06
There IS some truth there...  el1jones | 01/18/06
If your argument is that patent review needs overhauled, I agree.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 01/18/06
The idea of a patent  CobraA1 | 01/18/06
Is to protect your ideas.  osreinstall | 01/18/06
Re: Is to protect your ideas.  none none | 01/18/06
re:  CobraA1 | 01/18/06
Bull!  NetArch. | 01/18/06
The uncreative will be weeded out.  osreinstall | 01/18/06
Actually it is true  Linux User 147560 | 01/18/06
More like Karl Marx  osreinstall | 01/18/06
Study your history  Linux User 147560 | 01/18/06
Take a reading lesson.  osreinstall | 01/18/06
Squirrels?  Linux User 147560 | 01/18/06
Yep Squirrels  osreinstall | 01/18/06
So in a nutshell  Linux Guy 1000 | 01/18/06
1000, you are full of BS  osreinstall | 01/18/06
Copying is Stealing  Too Old For IT | 01/18/06
Yes, copying without attribution is stealing.  NetArch. | 01/18/06
That's why  nomorems | 01/18/06
I think mebbe you are lookin at the wrong bunch  plumnilly | 01/18/06
The problem is  Michael Kelly | 01/18/06
What are you talking about?  osreinstall | 01/18/06
I didn't say easy  Michael Kelly | 01/18/06
Patent length & pending application for  IAFarm2 | 01/18/06
Easy, Obvious or Simple. It doesn't matter.  osreinstall | 01/18/06
Obviousness DOES Matter  dsdjr | 01/19/06
Here is the link to the article.  osreinstall | 01/19/06
How So?  nucrash | 01/18/06
Good idea, wrong target  A.Sinic | 01/18/06
SPOT ON!!!  No_Ax_to_Grind | 01/18/06
Re: Good idea, wrong target  none none | 01/18/06
Right target: software patents in general  FamilyManFirst | 01/18/06
Stallman's personal gripe against DRM will end GPLed products  No_Ax_to_Grind | 01/18/06
I prefer Linus's Stance on DRM  nucrash | 01/18/06
Linus may stay with current GPL  No_Ax_to_Grind | 01/18/06
Not necessarily...  techboy_z | 01/18/06
STOP thinking DRM is about music and video.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 01/18/06
No it's about  Linux User 147560 | 01/18/06
I never thought I "owned" another's property.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 01/18/06
Your right it is more than piracy  Linux User 147560 | 01/18/06
Let me try once more, I do NOT care about a silly song or movie!  No_Ax_to_Grind | 01/18/06
Get a clue  Linux User 147560 | 01/18/06
No_Axe  nomorems | 01/18/06
LU, No_Ax has a valid point about non-media DRM.  Anton Philidor | 01/18/06
What more  nomorems | 01/18/06
If you believe that your more fool than I thought.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 01/19/06
Who exactly does it benefit?  CobraA1 | 01/18/06
Maybe in your world, not in mine.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 01/18/06
re: Maybe in your world, not in mine.  CobraA1 | 01/18/06
You never owned anything at the company you work for.  osreinstall | 01/18/06
Actually . . .  CobraA1 | 01/18/06
It is all 1s and 0s without a working program.  osreinstall | 01/18/06
DRM will not benefit the consumer.  Linux User 147560 | 01/18/06
Wrong LU#  osreinstall | 01/18/06
Go back and reinstall your OS again...  Linux Guy 1000 | 01/18/06
1000 those blinders work on you a lot better.  osreinstall | 01/18/06
Let them have their DRM, just take their copyright  rhavyn | 01/18/06
By law they will be required to release it to public domain.  osreinstall | 01/19/06
DRM is not about Your medical or financial data, or a companies documents  jimbo_z | 01/18/06
I can see you too are clueless about how DRM works.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 01/19/06
By users, software distributors or by FOSS programmers?  John Le'Brecage | 01/18/06
DRM is a non-starter  code_flogger | 01/18/06
Grow how?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 01/19/06
All patents must die [nt]  Omch'Ar | 01/18/06
Why? So my ideas can be stolen by  John Zern | 01/18/06
You mean like Microsoft?  nomorems | 01/18/06
Who said it was ok for MS to do this?  John Zern | 01/19/06
I can see why  CobraA1 | 01/18/06
You are right, and it's why it will fail.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 01/18/06
We'll see  CobraA1 | 01/18/06
Umm hmmm.  nomorems | 01/18/06
DRM and Linux / GNU licence 3, FUD FUD FUD  hipparchus2001 | 01/18/06
Keep believing you can change it...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 01/19/06

What do you think?

SponsoredWhite Papers, Webcasts, and Downloads

advertisement
advertisement

SmartPlanet

  • Thought-provoking progressive ideas on diverse topics that intersect with technology, business, and life, and matter to the world at large. Visit SmartPlanet
  • More from IBM
  • Innovate your business' process model, play against the market, compete against others on our scoreboards and WIN! Try INNOV8 2.0: A BPM Simulator
  • Enabling Real-World Business Transformation through IBM Service Management Read the EMA Analyst Report
Click Here