Re: [SLUG] More Problems in Linux Community

From: Eric Jahn (eric@ejahn.net)
Date: Thu Aug 28 2003 - 14:44:38 EDT


it could be a great thing for linux: once the SCO has it's ass handed to
itself, linux and open source may become more legitimate as a result of this
trial by fire. same with the EP stuff. i'm optimistic...

On Thursday 28 August 2003 02:24 pm, you wrote:
> This is upsetting what is going on since SCO has started this Bs.
>
>
> Knoppix Website
>
> http://www.knoppix.com/
>
> Closed because of "Software-Patents"
> In the next few days, the European Parliament will decide about the
> legalisation and adoption of so-called "software patents" in Europe, which
> are already used by large companies in other countries to put competitors
> out of business. This can lead to the termination of many software projects
> such as KNOPPIX, at least within Europe, because the holders of the over
> 30,000 already granted "software patents" (currently without a legal
> foundation) can claim exclusive rights and collect license fees for trivial
> things like "progress bars", "mouseclicks on online order forms",
> "scrolling within a window" and similar. That way, software developers will
> have to pay the "software-patentholders" for using these features, even in
> their own, completely self-developed applications, which can completely
> stall the development of innovative software for small and medium
> companies. Apart from this, the expense for patent inquiries and legal
> assistence is high, for even trying to find out if the self-developed
> software is possibly violating "software-patents", if you want to continue
> to market your software. Contrary to real patents, "software-patents" are,
> in the current draft, monopolization of business ideas and methods, even
> without any tangible technical implementation.
>
>
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