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tom wrote: > Rob Beard wrote: >> Not for Microsoft it hasn't... >> >> http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/12/22/microsoft_loses_word_patent_appeal/ >> >> >> Rob >> >> > How unseasonal of you! > Snrrk splwwtffttHa Ha Ha ... > me too! > Tom te tom te tom > > Actually all this shows is that there is no "golden ticket" at the end of software patents (unless of course you are a lawyer). Microsoft may now wish to re-think its policy on promoting software patents as a good thing for the software industry as a whole. To paraphrase a biblical quote "He who lives by the software patent will die by the software patent"...... Clearly the licensing model is becoming more unsustainable and software patents are only going to lead to more and more cross-patent law suites which are going to be complicated and therefore expensive to sort out. The extra expense of fighting law suites will ultimately lead to higher license fees to offset suppliers costs, and so the vicious circle continues. If we take this to its ultimate conclusion the licensed model / software patents will have to be abandoned which leaves free software as the only alternative model (at the moment). Tom. -- The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG http://mailman.dclug.org.uk/listinfo/list FAQ: http://www.dcglug.org.uk/linux_adm/list-faq.html