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Truth Behind the ClearType/OpenSUSE FUD

Posted by kdawson on from the making-it-clear dept.

Kennon writes "Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols over at Linux Watch clears up the FUD around Tuesday's Slashdot discussion concerning OpenSUSE, ClearType, and patent deals with Microsoft."

1 of 123 comments (clear)

  1. Re:This hurts my head by 10scjed · · Score: 5, Informative
    According to Microsoft's attorney, software patents are invalid in the US as well:

    MR. OLSON [For Microsoft]: The '580 patent is a program, as I understand it, that's married to a computer, has to be married to a computer in order to be patented.
    JUSTICE SCALIA: You can't patent, you know, on-off, on-off code in the abstract, can you? MR. OLSON: That's correct, Justice Scalia.
    JUSTICE SCALIA: There needs to be a device.
    MR. OLSON: An idea or a principle, two plus two equals four can't be patented. It has to be put together with a machine and made into a usable device.
    --
    --10scjed IANAL,AFAIK