New Free Software License Takes Aim At Patents

Just saw this on slashdot. Has some pretty serious implications . . .

Quote:

---

AMSTERDAM - The free software association said on Tuesday it would start adapting rules for development and use of free software by including penalties against those who patent software or use anti-piracy technology.

---

Quote:

---

"Software patents are clearly a menace to society and innovation. We like this to be more explicit. The basic idea is that if someone patents software, he loses the right to use free software. It's like a patent retaliation clause," Greve said.

---

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9225821/
MSNBC :: Sept. 6, 2005

LOL.. A thread on the new gpl and a link to msnbc . .

http://www.fsf.org/Members/peterb/gplv3

Thanks JinkX !

/ pokes himself to see if he can still sense irony . . . :p

Oh Dear!

Quote:

---

"Software patents are clearly a menace to society and innovation. We like this to be more explicit. The basic idea is that if someone patents software, he loses the right to use free software. It's like a patent retaliation clause," Greve said.

---

"All black and white, with no grey matter inbetween"

If patents did not exist a lot of things just would not happen?.............how many people on this site are registered charities :D .....................expect to be paid don't ya? :p

I think that the issue lies with exactly what is patentable. Cut code that works clearly is, vague concepts in restriction of trade/innovation are clearly not...............the rest is the battleground?

:)

I welcome a new GPL.
14 years is a long time in tech..

http://mail.fsfeurope.org/pipermail/...q3/000116.html

Quote:

---

To develop this new licence, we will be contacting communities across the globe to ensure their participation in the update of one of the most important social documents of our time.

---

I for one am more then willing to help ( and an active member of nl.linux.org ( atleast at irc, expo's and bbq's ) )

I don't think it'll be a problem for me since I don't sell software and neither does my boss..
We offer online solutions..
If anyone think's he can do better, he can try, that's free trade.

Also, the MSNBC article is based on the first version of the Reuters report, which misquotes the FSF on the provisions concerning software patents. Reuters has meanwhile updated the story.
Here's a few links to the new and corrected version of the story:
http://today.reuters.com/News/newsAr...OFTWARE-DC.XML
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1855846,00.asp
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...090600484.html

Also El Reg now has some insight.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/09/06/fsf_patent_gpl/