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On Software Patent Lawsuits Against OSS

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the bad-day-bad-day dept.

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."

3 of 400 comments (clear)

  1. I for one by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    I for one welcome these software patent lawsuits. Open source software has been a disaster for programmers. Why should some smelly nerd in his parents basement be allowed to create programs using stolen patented algorithms? Shouldn't he be required to come up with his own ideas instead of stealing them? Frankly, we need more of these lawsuits to finally rid this industry of OSS hippies.

  2. A Kulture of Kriminals by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Open source developers and their kommunity:

    1. Rip off various Microsoft windowing desktop features and innovations, and now lambast Microsoft as the Evil Empire.

    2. Rail against a current impartial Justice department reversal of a prior political decision declaring Microsoft a monopoly, and then bundle NOT ONLY a firefox browser with all linux distributions themself, but media players and codecs on overseas distros to circumvent patent laws.

    3. Rip off music and video files on p2p networks while starving future artists, as the rest of us legal paying citizens wonder where all the good modern music has gone.

    Oh, the irony. And the hypocrisy! What a bunch of free loading dumpster diving communist hippies. The only thing missing from this kommune's philosophy is a green parrot on one shoulder and a metal hook for pointing the blame at others. And unbeknowst to them, they're even too stupid to realize that a curved hook points in only one direction...

  3. Re:They have every right to their works by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    t's good to see /. moderation at its best. Say anything pro capitalism and watch your post get moderated down, down and thrice down. It's why a self moderation system does not work, it's why I've stopped using osnews.com, and it's why I'm sick and tired of the Linsux and open sores communities - they simply cannot accept the truth whatsoever.

    In all honesty, I cannot wait for the day when software patents spread the world over and really screw Linsux users and open sores developers badly. The sooner, the better. I'd like to see those that are peddling software and libraries that allow interaction with DVDs (libdecss) and MP3s forcefully taken down for patent infringement. It's only a matter of time before Microsoft and other large companies start to make aggressive patent moves against Linsux and open sores, and as far as I'm concerned, Linsux and open sores deserves every single bit of crap that's thrown at it.

    I used to like Linsux years ago, but now, with the new crowd of wankers using it, and advocating it, I can't stand it, and the sooner it goes away, the damn well better in my eyes.

    Have lousy day and go fuck youselves fucktarded shitdot sheeple.