Mark Kent wrote:
Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> espoused:
A company turns the Microsoft-Novell case into an open source business model
,----[ Quote ]
| Everybody seems to agree that software patents are bad: because of patent
| trolls, because the patent system is broken and overwhelmed or because they
| threaten FOSS. In short, people don?t want to pay for Linux.
|
| Yet even pro-open-source companies are making this argument that they have to
| build a patent portfolio so that to be able to defend themselves, just in
| case. Hey, even open source communities have adopted this ?I?m forced too?
| stance.
|
| Therefore it was only a matter of time before an open source company decides
| patents could be used to solidify open source dual-licensing schemes. Imagine
| the deal between Microsoft and Novell erected into a widespread open source
| dual-licensing scheme. Scary.
As I'm certain you can determine by reading my posts in this
news group, I have no technical training in computers. I also
have no education beyond a high school diploma. So this may
be a stupid question. It may also seem off-topic for this
news group, but since I thought of the question solely based
on posts in this news group, I thought that I would return a
favor that has been done for me in this news group by posting
it here:
If open-source and pro-open-source companies apply for and
receive software patents for their software (ostensibly to
defend themselves in 'patent wars' that are initiated by
closed-source, proprietary software companies), doesn't that
introduce the danger that the open-source and pro-open-source
companies can be bought by closed-source companies (and then
their open-source patents belong to the closed-source
companies that bought them)?
Now comes another question:
If the answer to the preceding question is 'Yes',
what damage will be done to the 'open source' movement if
a closed-source company (such as Microsoft) buys out
a company that holds patents on open-source software?
Thanks in advance for all your answers and comments.
Kelton
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