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Patent Case With FOSS Implications

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the another-inducement-for-offshoring dept.

ThousandStars writes, "SCOTUSBlog posted about the liklihood that the Supreme Court will review whether an organization can get around software patents by completing the work in other countries. This case has huge implications for OSS projects with coders in the U.S., as it may inhibit, among other things, the ability of American coders to contribute to projects that violate U.S. software patents." The Patently-O blog gives background on the case.

3 of 113 comments (clear)

  1. Software patents? by bram · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Does anyone living outside of the US actually care about US patents?

    Just a question.

    --
    People using html in email should be shot.
  2. Re:Microsoft is behind this! by quiberon2 · · Score: 2, Interesting
    It's not entirely clear that major corporations would want to, or would be able to, halt development and distribution of OSS.

    Even Microsoft seem to be warming to the idea of running Linux virtual machines under Windows.

    And loads of major corporations use OSS in their internal business processes. Think of all those Linksys routers with their GPL microcode. Millions in use throughout the USA.

  3. patented compiler by falconwolf · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Could someone with copyright/patent on a compiler claim that any object code it produces is a derivative work since it uses their proprietary assembly-generating algorithm?

    I think that's an interesting question that should be asked in court. I think it would make a mockery of software patents, which is a good thing. Neither alogrithms, business methods, nor software should be patented period!

    Falcon
    --
    Should there be a Law?