Re: <nettime> A 'licensing fee' for GNU/Linux?

[Scot Mcphee <scotartt@autonomous.org>]

Hi Felix.

This is a very worrying issue, but affects all users (and writers) of all
software just not linux. Although linux being open means it's easily
placed under scrutiny of lawyers and other types.

As a professional software developer, this affects me and all my brethren
as well as any of our users. There are so many patents now that just about
any technique I use in building software is probably patented.

I read somewhere just yesterday, but dammit I can't find that link now,
that it's better NOT to search for patents. If you knowingly infringe a
patent your potential damages go through the roof (I presume this means in
the USA only). Given that any software you probably do write will infringe
someone's patent it seem that Ignorance is Bliss, or at least much less
pain than otherwise.

Some other links;

http://www.linuxjournal.com/article.php?sid=5079

http://www.linuxdevcenter.com/pub/a/linux/2004/08/06/kernel_patent_risks.html



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