From owner-freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG Sun Jul 10 23:39:12 2005 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-chat@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-chat@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 173C916A41C for ; Sun, 10 Jul 2005 23:39:12 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from oceanare@pacific.net.sg) Received: from smtpgate1.pacific.net.sg (smtpgate1.pacific.net.sg [203.120.90.27]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with SMTP id 3F81843D45 for ; Sun, 10 Jul 2005 23:39:10 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from oceanare@pacific.net.sg) Received: (qmail 19094 invoked from network); 10 Jul 2005 23:39:09 -0000 Received: from maxwell2.pacific.net.sg (203.120.90.192) by smtpgate1 with SMTP; 10 Jul 2005 23:39:09 -0000 Received: from [192.168.0.107] ([210.24.246.28]) by maxwell2.pacific.net.sg with ESMTP id <20050710233908.RYFH28012.maxwell2.pacific.net.sg@[192.168.0.107]>; Mon, 11 Jul 2005 07:39:08 +0800 Message-ID: <42D1B191.2000908@pacific.net.sg> Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2005 07:38:57 +0800 From: Erich Dollansky Organization: oceanare pte ltd User-Agent: Mozilla Thunderbird 1.0.2 (X11/20050514) X-Accept-Language: en-us, en MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Bryan Maynard References: <9A4DB033-3EF6-498F-8DF7-FD402C8E5D9C@tamu.edu> <200507091303.13823.bryan.maynard@reallm.com> <2BDDEF4D-C4F2-465F-B8C5-9841383466FB@HiWAAY.net> <200507101430.10195.bryan.maynard@reallm.com> In-Reply-To: <200507101430.10195.bryan.maynard@reallm.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Cc: freebsd-chat@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Software patents and FreeBSD X-BeenThere: freebsd-chat@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Non technical items related to the community List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sun, 10 Jul 2005 23:39:12 -0000 Hi, Bryan Maynard wrote: > On Saturday 09 July 2005 08:31 pm, David Kelly wrote: > >>On Jul 9, 2005, at 8:03 AM, Bryan Maynard wrote: >> > So far neither of us have answered the inital question: "How would software > patents effect an Open Source project like FreeBSD?" > It will affect FreeBSD like any other operating system. But does FreeBSD make use of those inventions? I would say FreeBSD does not use patented methods. Applications might use them. What can be done to make patent null and void at least to extent that they do not affect FreeBSD? There are two ways. The first way covers existing patent, the second way protects from future patents. A patent is only valid on one country. The owner of patent can apply for the same patent within the first year of registration. The idea protected in a patent can be freely used in any other country. If FreeBSD has to use patented methods, it can host the software for it in countries without protection for that idea. The method to avoid future patents to affect FreeBSD would be a list 'ideas' where ideas are discussed. Even if they idea is then never used, it also is not possible to get a patent for this idea as the mailing list is published at the Internet creating prior art. Dicussing ideas openly is a simple and cheap method to fight patents. No matter how ridicules an idea sounds, just discuss it openly. If FreeBSD implements later the same idea, no patent granted later as thre publication can be used against FreeBSD. Erich