From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Aug 3 21:50:34 2012 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id DB2FA106564A for ; Fri, 3 Aug 2012 21:50:34 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from perrin@apotheon.com) Received: from oproxy8-pub.bluehost.com (oproxy8.bluehost.com [IPv6:2605:dc00:100:2::a8]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with SMTP id 9712D8FC0A for ; Fri, 3 Aug 2012 21:50:34 +0000 (UTC) Received: (qmail 8970 invoked by uid 0); 3 Aug 2012 21:50:34 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO box543.bluehost.com) (74.220.219.143) by oproxy8.bluehost.com with SMTP; 3 Aug 2012 21:50:34 -0000 DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; q=dns/txt; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=apotheon.com; s=default; h=In-Reply-To:Content-Type:MIME-Version:References:Message-ID:Subject:To:From:Date; bh=8cdtSKR7s5SE/V8b/LC9Nb4pp8sY32+SIBuhRLU8GuM=; b=JImxY7lE3nHd+6Hs1FbpohPtuW/dPYFEze+CQbIHVoHfLrSQe1tWEt9UXZcmkvPqI4wska/YR15CXGgdpMxzg4z8SXJjHK1R7P6gDZZGsOHPpnRRuXDSVJJYf8VZIGPv; Received: from [24.8.180.234] (port=60600 helo=localhost) by box543.bluehost.com with esmtpsa (TLSv1:AES128-SHA:128) (Exim 4.76) (envelope-from ) id 1SxPlR-0005K9-Ro for freebsd-questions@freebsd.org; Fri, 03 Aug 2012 15:50:33 -0600 Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2012 15:50:33 -0600 From: Chad Perrin To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Message-ID: <20120803215033.GB26239@hemlock.hydra> Mail-Followup-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org References: <20120802185759.GB12255@hemlock.hydra> <1343995740.40983.YahooMailNeo@web120803.mail.ne1.yahoo.com> <20120803164205.GB51560@neutralgood.org> <6116D91B-802F-4EF9-B7EE-B7D93D37C816@olivent.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.21 (2010-09-15) X-Identified-User: {2737:box543.bluehost.com:apotheon:apotheon.com} {sentby:smtp auth 24.8.180.234 authed with perrin@apotheon.com} Subject: Re: Patent hit - MS goes after Linux - FreeBSD ? X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 03 Aug 2012 21:50:35 -0000 On Fri, Aug 03, 2012 at 02:32:11PM -0400, Sean Cavanaugh wrote: > > > > Out of curiosity has anyone ever heard of trolls patenting open source > > technologies after the fact? > > The prior art stipulations pretty much kills that off, unless they make a > genuine improvement/change to it to not qualify under that, then they would > be well within patent law to apply for a patent. . . . in theory. In practice, if you don't have the resources to mount a serious defense against a deep-pockets patent holder, prior art isn't going to get you far. -- Chad Perrin [ original content licensed OWL: http://owl.apotheon.org ]