Re: Where we stand in regard to the future platform / desktop technology

[Ryan McDougall <ryan mcdougall telusplanet net>]

On Sun, 2004-03-28 at 23:29 +0100, jamie wrote:
> 
> Most large companies maintain portfolios for defensive actions only and
> its very likely that SUN, IBM and MS all have patents on each other's
> work and fear of retaliation is what prevents any of them from enforcing
> them. I'm not suggesting we should ignore patents and where its a clear
> cut case we should avoid them but we should also have some leeway in
> legal grey areas as its virtually impossible these days to create
> software thats 100% patent free. 


> If everybody's view is "if there's the
> slightest doubt - don't use it" then we may as well give up on all open
> source projects let alone incorporating a VM into Gnome. 

I think the above is important enough of a consideration that I feel I
need to second it. As Havoc says, we need risk management. What we can't
afford is continuous fear, uncertainty, or doubt wrt implementing good
technology because of patents. 

Somebody somewhere has a patent on something we (and about a thousand
other people) already do. We're just waiting for them to come bend us
over a barrel, should they feel so inclined. Thats part of life in the
industry we're in. Its sad, I know.

> jamie.

Also, with regard to Havoc's point that no one has sued over Free Java
implementations yet. Fraunhofer hasn't sued anyone over not-for-profit
mp3 players yet either, yet there is no mp3 on RH. Damn, I'm starting to
get depressed. ;)

Cheers,
Ryan