[Fsfe-ie] Nokia, patents and the EU directive

[Glenn Strong]

On Thursday, May 26, 2005 at 16:29 +0100, Éibhear wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> Following the lead, one would think, of IBM and Novell, Nokia has
> announced that Linux kernel development may use all its patents
> (http://press.nokia.com/PR/200505/995845_5.html and
> http://www.nokia.com/iprstatements).
[...] 
> I'm trying to make sense of this, because if they're serious in their
> statements that Free Software development needs to be protected from
> patents, then they could just support the EP's text of the directive from
> Sept. 2003 and all efforts to return the directive to that state.
 
> Anyone with any insights?

I wonder if this is related to the fact that Nokia have just announced
a Gnu/Linux based handheld device: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/05/25/nokia_wifi_tablet/

The announcement on patents appears to be saying that *current*
uses are licensed but if you add new features that infringe on
further patents you might not be off the hook:

  "The Patent Statement applies to Nokia's patents infringed by
  current official releases of the Linux Kernel and all future
  official releases of the Linux Kernel to the extent that Nokia has
  not declared new functionality embodied in such releases to be
  outside the scope of the Patent Statement."

  "Nokia intends to work with the open source community in identifying
  in advance those functionalities that Nokia would declare to be
  outside the Patent Statement."

-- 
Glenn Strong