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On Software Patent Lawsuits Against OSS
Bruce Perens writes "We've warned you for a decade. Now the monster has finally arrived: patent holders are filing suit against OSS developers." From the article: "We should not be confident that we will continue to have the right to use and develop Open Source software. A coordinated patent attack by a few companies, or even one large company, could completely destroy Open Source in the United States and cripple it in other nations. Funds and patent portfolios that have been established to help defend Open Source would not be sufficient to defend it. Only legislative changes to the patent system can fully protect Open Source and maintain it as a viable source of innovation for our future."
Oh, FFS, can we have ONE discussion regarding patent issues without a libertarian troll that fails to look at the downsides of minimalist government?
"Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
Because all those IP lawyers making millions would be out of a job and 'ol George Bush doesn't want the unemployment rate to rise!
What kind of nutbag would get pissed off enough about software patents to revolt? Sure, the US has problems, but even as a software developer, I can safely say that software patents are nowhere near any of the real problems we have.
How the hell can that be considered redundant? Some troll must be pissed off that they didn't get a FP. First post, but not a karma whoring one; it's a valid statement. Eh, whatever.