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

Glenn Strong Glenn.Strong at cs.tcd.ie
Thu May 26 17:55:00 CEST 2005


On Thursday, May 26, 2005 at 16:39 +0100, Glenn Strong wrote:
> 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/

(sorry Éibhear just noticed you mentioned this
product in your original mail).

Anyway, thinking about it I'd put money on it being related. They
want to have swpats, and they also want to make use of the Linux
kernel. This gives the kernel developers some protection, and also
gives Nokia a moral high ground to push for other patent holders to
grant the same rights.

I suppose they might also try to argue that anti-swpat arguments are
weakened by pointing to this as a case where Free Software is granted
zero-cost licenses (this would require them to conveniently ignore the
fact that these licenses are still quite restrictive).

-- 
Glenn Strong



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