Please explain [LWN.net]

Please explain

Posted Nov 30, 2006 1:17 UTC (Thu) by BrucePerens (subscriber, #2510)
In reply to: Please explain by erwbgy
Parent article: Who is being divisive?

Novell is a member of the Open Invention Network

OIN holds 13 patents. Perhaps it can be significant someday, but right now I'd say it's a token.

Regarding the patent policy, what they write on their web site is public relations. What they have said in front of legislators was different. I was there when Novell declared its support for software patenting in the EU. They did oppose the particular patent bill at the time, because they didn't like the language. Will they oppose EPLA? They aren't showing any signs of doing so.

Bruce

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Please explain

Posted Dec 1, 2006 16:34 UTC (Fri) by nat (guest, #41935) [Link]

Have you looked at the OIN patents, Bruce? OIN holds significant patents on ecommerce that affect just about every large company in this industry.

I'm sure you know that quality of patents and the value of the infriging business can be just as relevant as number.

Anyway, I'm proud of Novell's contributions to OIN. In the US, software patents exist. Is that perfect? No, absolutely not. But at least we're trying to work within that system to provide safety and comfort to free and open source developers.

Please explain

Posted Dec 1, 2006 17:11 UTC (Fri) by BrucePerens (subscriber, #2510) [Link]

Nat,

I have looked at OIN's 13 patents. First, it's a small portfolio about which Novell blows its horn much more than the content warrants. Second, as you are well aware, this patent portfolio would be ineffective against "patent trolls", companies that produce nothing but patents. Microsoft has already invested in Intellectual Ventures, one such troll. By bringing a proxy attack as with SCO, using a troll this time, Microsoft could avoid OIN and indeed could avoid its own agreement with Novell.

Bruce