Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
news:1877525.9gnd6cGCxR@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:
> Different Ways to React to Microsoft's Patent Push
>
> ,----[ Quote ]
>| After Microsoft ?s announcement that their patents are being
>| infringed by free/open source software, Linux and FOSS are getting
>| more attention than ever from the mainstream media, and that can only
>| be a good thing.
> `----
>
> http://www.b-eye-network.com/view/5741
>
>
> Related:
>
> What Does GPL3 Mean for the Enterprise?
>
> ,----[ Quote ]
>| What if you cry yourself to sleep at night because you really really
>| want to have locked hardware and discriminatory patent agreements? No
>| problem -- knock yourself out. You just can't do it with GPL code.
> `----
You just can't do it with GPL _3_ code! You can still do it all you want
with GPL 2, or modified copy there off. On another note, after reading
more about this, I am convinced the GPL 3 will hurt Linux, not help it.
I think people misunderstand Novell's agreement with MS, due, in no
small part to MS misinformation. It's a concept called cross patenting.
It simply means the _IF_ there are any patent violation, or even simply
allegations of such, then MS can not sue Novell.
You have to remember that, in their infinite wisdom many countries grant
patents on such trivial things as GUI design, and I issuer you, MS has
lot's of those.
So, why the agreement? Well with out any protection MS can simply sue
any of the linux endusers. I am not saying they have a legit claim, I am
not arguing that they are correct, please do not flame. But they can
sue. For god sakes, a woman just sued her husbands doctor for letting
her husband die by not praying for him. So they sue a small company
which has no means of defending them selves, or have no legal budget. So
they settle, and are "offered" MS software instead. Linux just lost a
client. I know that what MS is doing is extortion, and it's morally
objectionable and wrong. But the only other alternative is for FSF to
gather as many BS patents as it can and force MS into a cross licensing
agreement on behalf of all GPL license users. (This, will never happen,
of course, because MS did not get to the top by being stupid, and such
agreement would kill them.)
Further, I think the TiVO issue is bad for linux as well. If it was the
reverse, as in, the source that TiVO published could ONLY run on TiVO
box, then I would understand the outrage. But the other way around, I do
not see the problem. They restrict their hardware, not the software that
runs on it. When did GPL jump over to HW design as well? I can see where
some people would be hurt by the fact that they are limited because the
TiVO code is designed to run on TiVO, but can not be modified and run on
such device. But, that does not stop you from setting up the same TiVO
on a blank computer, does it?
- Bogdan
>
> http://www.serverwatch.com/trends/article.php/3678081
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