Software patents and Free Software implementation

[Alexandre Dulaunoy]

On Tue, 16 Apr 2002, Alessandro Rubini wrote:

> 
> Hello.
> 
> > We (AEL) are trying to have an updated list of patent owners that permit 
> > Free Software implementation under a RF licence of their patents.
> > On the other side, we have also a list of people that don't permit Free 
> > Software implementation . 
> 
> Would you please explain why are you doing that? Since software
> patents are still illegal in Europe, moving like they were leagal is a
> bad tactic, in my opinion.

Yes, you are right. We are currently battle to stop patent in Europe (in 
Belgium and Luxembourg governement) and they (gvt) have a (bad) general 
argument that saying "Software patent exists in the US and Free Software exists 
also in the US, so there is not issue with innovation in Free Software".
Of course, they are wrong but we need arguments... 

This general argument is in use for pushing the directive on software 
patents. We want to show that existing software patents hurt the Free 
Software developer in the US and other countries. 

That's why we have created a list of software patents that can be 
implemented in Free Software (with a RF license) or NOT. 

Of course, the majority of patent owners don't want an RF license for 
their patents. So I hope you understand the stategy of this. 

Don't hesitate to give any feedback. 

Thanks.

Alex


> 
> thanks
> /alessandro, expressing only his own ideas
> 



-- 
Alexandre Dulaunoy			adulau at conostix.com
					http://www.conostix.com/