OSDL Says Patent Threat to Linux is Receding 70
blacksilver writes "The chief executive of the Open Source Development Labs (ODSL) has said that the threat facing Linux from software patent-infringement claims has receded.
From the article: 'Lots of people who hold a lot of patents have looked at this issue, and nothing's come of it ... There's always been a suspicion that some of them [the alleged infringing patents] were held by Microsoft, so this could be an issue ... our customer advisor people speak to people, including major customers who run both Windows and Linux, and they say it's not an issue,'"
Customer Responses? (Score:5, Interesting)
Are customers who run Windows and Linux really the right people to be asking these kinds of questions? Shouldn't they be commenting on Microsoft (and other companies') actions instead of random customer opinion? Seems kind of random.
Perceived threat is still a threat. (Score:5, Interesting)
When people eat the FUD, they don't necessarily believe it. Instead they just add this to the risk pile: "Aww heck I don't want to have to possibly go to court...".
Re:Perceived threat is still a threat. (Score:3, Interesting)
What the fuck is that about? [hint: there are no patents on GF(p) point operations or DH/DSA].
Sometimes if you talk fast enough and have a classy enough suit you can convince people of anything. At the ceritcom ECC con- [can't say convention cuz that would be giving them too much credit] this year it was all about how "certicoms ECC technology was leading the way" etc cough cough gag!
All I have to say is this
"250,000 patents filed every year, and still no microwavable safe metals."
Most patents are just nuisance pointless bragging patents. Oh we "invented" a way to do something trivially different from what you are doing. Or fuck, let's just patent something other people do but word it up all in our own lingo.
Like the MSFT patents on cron jobs...
The reason why no patent suits have been brought against Linux is because they wouldn't hold ground in court. I'm sure on paper there are patents that Linux somehow violates. I just wouldn't count on them being legitimate.
Tom
Harder to kill Linux with patents (Score:4, Interesting)
Not troll-proof (Score:5, Interesting)
Patent "trolls" are not competitors. They are file-drawer companies that don't make anything and don't sell anything. You cannot kill a troll's business with your patent sword because they have no business.
Patent pools are no defense against trolls. Linux companies are no safer than anyone else when the troll demands a piece of their profits.
Re:What would have been the result? (Score:3, Interesting)
IBM's Big Stick? (Score:1, Interesting)
US campaign (Score:5, Interesting)
What is needed now is an American equivalent to the European campaign effort. It is possible to abolish software patents and this is the way to go.
So where is the US campaign?
Re:Back to the drawing board... (Score:3, Interesting)
I also won't be recommending any more 6 figure purchases based on their technology.