[Fsfe-ie] Tech companies unite to buy up Linux patents

Malcolm Tyrrell malcoh0l at yahoo.ie
Thu Nov 10 15:25:36 CET 2005


This is news which will require careful management:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/10/linux_patent_holding/

My take: This is an approach to the symptoms of the software patent
problem when the solution is obvious: Don't have software patents in
the first place. In any case, I don't expect the approach would be
very effective, e.g. it offers no defense at all against pure
patent-holding companies.

We shouldn't appear ungrateful to the investors for trying to offer
the Free Software community some protection. However, I'd like to know
what kind organisation the described OIN is? (Can anyone find a link?)
Is it a not-for-profit with a constitution, or is there the danger
that the patents could be leaveraged against the Free Software
community if the business climate changed?

Malx.


		
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