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On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 11:21:30 +0000 (GMT) trewornan <trewornan@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > Software patents were rejected by the European > Parliament and thus Microsofts "Intellectual Property" > is not valid in Europe. If it comes up just make sure > people know this . Only the directive was defeated, not the principle. That was only the beginning. See the DCGLUG content: http://www.dcglug.org.uk/wiki/?id=Software+patents > There may be a problem in the US (although I doubt it > for a number of reasons) but Linux users over there > will have to deal with that. No. A problem in the US is a problem for everyone. Validity in the US helps lobbyists in the EU to get the issue raised again on "compatibility" grounds. Validity in the US hinders our colleagues in the US who write quite a large proportion of the code. Validity in the US causes delays and headaches for distributions who don't want to have to try to restrict US citizens from downloading the non-US version of the distribution. Debian dumped "non-us non-free" some time ago - it's not something that most people in Debian want to see return. > This is just more of Microsoft's usual FUD, they've > realised they're in trouble and are reverting to type. There is FUD, no doubt, there is also hilarity and incredulity that Novell are being as stupid as SCO (who also got into bed with Balmer). Novell just haven't learnt that Microsoft doesn't understand sharing - no-one shares with microsoft. You deal with microsoft and you become absorbed into microsoft and disappear from view - just ask QuarterDeck. That's what microsoft do - they Extend by absorption, a bit like an amoeba. Lovely - amoebic dysentery anyone? The real danger is hidden - as ever - in the detail. Software Patents have *not* gone away, the battle has begun and the first round has been won in the EU but the proposal has not gone away. It has been delayed, not yet defeated. -- Neil Williams ============= http://www.data-freedom.org/ http://www.nosoftwarepatents.com/ http://www.linux.codehelp.co.uk/
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