Similar in spirit? [LWN.net]

Similar in spirit?

Posted Oct 9, 2006 11:29 UTC (Mon) by nim-nim (subscriber, #34454)
In reply to: Similar in spirit? by stock
Parent article: Similar in spirit?

- ntfs: one problem company, already unpopular and watched by regulators wordwide, holding some patents that may not be enforceable in Europe, based on stuff it didn't originally develop, never actually threatened to enforce them

- mp3: a few problem companies, never made their mind if they actually wanted to enforce their patents or not, little global leverage

- DRM: a whole economic sector, with local branches worldwide (including some of the richest multinationals of the world), believing its future is at stake, controling in large part the "free" press, powerful enough to push international treaties and have the sole remaining global superpower enforce them.

1. does the scale of the problem seem even remotely similar?
2. have you read the law the media lobby just got voted in France?
3. do you think after the outrageous lengths this lobby went to have it passed it won't try to use it in the field?

Aside from that the discussion is not limited to the Linux kernel licensing (even Ingo acknowledged it) and your proposal is wrong both at the legal and at the logistical level.

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