Patents and User Protection In OSS

missing_myself writes "Linux.com has nice summary on 'How major distributions are dealing with potential violations of patents and trademarks, cryptography, packaging proprietary software and consequential damages' from Bruce Byfield (a journalist from OSTG)." From the article: "Slowly, some commercial distributions are taking a different route. In the last few years, indemnification has become an increasingly important issue in FOSS communities, largely because of the SCO-IBM case. Claiming ownership of Unix, SCO alleges that IBM has allowed copyrighted code to pass from System V Unix to GNU/Linux. Although no evidence has been released and the trial is not scheduled until February 26, 2007, the issues in the case have made both commercial and community FOSS participants reevaluate their practices."

Comments

Re:February 26, 2007

[Bacon Bits]

We don't have a justice system. We have a legal system.

Is there any country whose justice system isn't completely corrupt and bureaucratic and slothful and wasteful and HORRIBLE like ours?

China. Their legal system is corrupt, bureaucratic, slothful, wasteful, and horrible... but not like ours.

Re:Does that mean linux will become like windows?

[cpt kangarooski]

There are way too many lawyers in the USA.

Are you kidding? The US has a dangerously small number of lawyers. We need more; many more.