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2005 predictions
2005 predictions
Posted Dec 22, 2005 6:19 UTC (Thu) by BrucePerens (subscriber, #2510)In reply to: 2005 predictions by zorgan
Parent article: A 2005 retrospective
Jon, few or none of the pooled patents so far are usable for defensive purposes. First, the pledges in general only allow use of the patents by Open Source and do not provide ownership of the patent or a right to prosecute infringement of the patent. Second, the entities that are donating patents to purportedly defensive pools are widely cross-licensed, including with most of the bad guys who would go against us. Third, an attack on Free Software would be a proxy attack, just like last time, with a small troubled company standing in for the real aggressor. That company would be operating as a patent troll.
Bruce
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2005 predictions
Posted Dec 22, 2005 9:58 UTC (Thu) by cventers (subscriber, #31465) [Link]
Bruce,I don't know that I'm sufficiently educated or briefed on this issue
to really comment on how helpful the pools may actually be. I just wanted
to say that as someone who cares very much about free software and Linux,
the patent pooling projects - even if they may marred by half measures
and partial commitments - indicate to me that there is a big community
out there that really does care.
When news of patents and DRM began to boil over, the future of our
practice seemed to be at grave risk. We still have many battles to fight,
but I for one will sleep a bit easier at night knowing that we have some
of the world's best on our side.
- Chase