[Fellowship-Slovenia] Fwd: [FTF-Legal] Legal news update March 28th

[Matija Šuklje]

Table of Contents:
1. Free Software Business
2. Software Patents
3. Copyright and Other Legal Act Reforms
4. Government and Free Software Policies
5. Other interesting links


	\\ Free Software Business //

A short recap from Nokia's e-mail answer to what the future holds for Symbian 
and Qt.
* I Programmer: Nokia confirms that Symbian phones will just fade away
http://www.i-programmer.info/news/83-mobliephone/2175-nokia-sends-open-letter-
to-
developers-about-the-future.html

	\\ Software Patents //

Again we come to a week full of mobile phone related patent wars. Pretty much 
everyone is suing everyone and getting sued at the same time. The word on the 
street 
also is that the recent Nokia-Microsoft bond is there mainly for both to be 
more 
powerful with their joint patent portfolio and thus get to them more favorable 
settlements easier.

After last week's questions whether Google violated the GPL by copying header 
files 
from the Linux kernel to its Android, this week we see patent infringement 
claims 
from Microsoft against some companies making Android devices.
	* TechCrunch: Drunk On Licensing Fees And Patents, Microsoft Has Become A 
Joke
	http://techcrunch.com/2011/03/21/this-title-is-patented-pay-me/
	* IT World: Android: Sued by Microsoft, not by Linux
	http://www.itworld.com/open-source/140916/android-sued-microsoft-not-linux
	* Ars Technica: Long battle likely in Microsoft's newest patent 
infringement 
suit
	http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/03/long-battle-likely-in-
microsofts-newest-patent-infringement-suit.ars
	* the Inquirer: Microsoft sues Barnes & Noble, Foxconn and Inventec over 
Android
	http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2036020/microsoft-sues-barnes-
noble-
foxconn-inventec-android

PaidContent: Microsoft Opponent Gets U.S. Government Support In Patent 
Showdown
http://paidcontent.org/article/419-microsoft-opponent-i4i-gets-u.s.-
government-
support-in-patent-showdown/

TechCrunch: Robocast Sues Apple for Infringing its "Automated Browsing" Patent
http://techcrunch.com/2011/03/22/robocast-sues-apple-for-infringing-its-
automated-
browsing-patent/

Reuters: Kodak wins skirmish against RIM and Apple
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/25/us-kodak-patent-
idUSTRE72O7CH20110325

the Inquirer: Apple and others sued for patent infringement
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2035951/apple-sued-patent-
infringement

the Inquirer: Nokia loses a patent infringement claim against Apple's Iphone
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2037754/nokia-loses-patent-
infringement-
claim-apples-iphone

Ars Technica: Apple's mobile products do not violate Nokia patents, says ITC
http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2011/03/itc-judge-apple-products-do-not-
violate-
nokia-patents.ars

	\\ Copyright and Other Legal Act Reforms //

Michael Geist: Another Copyright Bill Hits the Scrap Heap: Taking Stock of 
Canadian 
Digital Law and Policy Reform
http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/5707/125/

	\\ Government and Free Software Policies //

FSFE: Mapping the changing landscape of Free Software in the British Public 
Sector
http://fsfe.org/uk/mapping-uk.en.html

OSOR: AU: Government moves to encourage use of Open Source Software
http://www.osor.eu/news/au-government-moves-to-encourage-use-of-open-source-
software

OSOR: PL: School curriculum to be modernised with courses on free software
http://www.osor.eu/news/pl-school-curriculum-to-be-modernised-with-courses-on-
free-
software

OSOR: NL: Court of Audit 'failed' in its independent review of open source
http://www.osor.eu/news/nl-court-of-audit-failed-in-its-independent-review-of-
open-
source


	\\ Other interesting links //

CIO: Yahoo Plans to Open Source Code for Non-Core Technologies
http://www.cio.com/article/678285/Yahoo_Plans_to_Open_Source_Code_for_Non_Core_Technologies

the Inquirer: ICANN wants to break free from the US government
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2037784/icann-break-free-government

Hugo Roy: English: IPRED: challenge EU policy in copyright and patents on the 
Internet
http://blogs.fsfe.org/hugo/2011/03/ipred-challenge-eu-policy-in-copyright-and-
patents-on-the-internet/

EU commissioner has started to work on a European Cloud Computing Strategy.
	* Neelie Kroes: The clear role of public authorities in cloud computing
	http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/neelie-kroes/public-authorities-and-cloud/

Ars Technica: Trademarked keyword sales may soon be restricted in Europe
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/03/european-court-advised-to-
restrict-
the-sale-of-trademarked-keywords.ars

ConsortiumInfo: Open Network Foundation to Promote New Network Architecture
http://www.consortiuminfo.org/standardsblog/article.php?story=20110322064932108

the H Online: The Pragmatism of Free Software Idealism and the Idealism of 
Open 
Source Pragmatism
http://www.h-online.com/open/features/The-pragmatism-of-free-software-
idealism-1211946.html


Cheers,
Matija

-- 
Deputy Legal Coordinator, FSFE
and Coordinator of the Fellowship group Slovenia
www: http://fsfe.org       █▉   || priv. www: http://matija.suklje.name
e-mail: hook at fsfe.org    █▉█▉█▉ || priv. e-mail: matija at suklje.name
xmpp: hook at jabber.fsfe.org ▉▉   || priv. xmpp: matija.suklje at gabbler.org
sip: hook at ekiga.net             || gsm: +386 41 849 552
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