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Interviews: Ask Florian Mueller About Software Patents and Copyrights

Posted by samzenpus on from the go-ahead-and-ask dept.

Florian Mueller is a blogger, software developer and former consultant who writes about software patents and copyright issues on his FOSSPatents blog. In 2004 he founded the NoSoftwarePatents campaign, and has written about Microsoft's multi-billion-dollar Android patent licensing business and Google's appeal of Oracle's Android-Java copyright case to the Supreme Court. Florian has agreed to give us some of his time in order to answer your questions. As usual, ask as many as you'd like, but please, one per post.

4 of 187 comments (clear)

  1. What Is Your Relationship with Microsoft & Ora by slashdice · · Score: 5, Informative

    Oracle paid him (disclosed by Oracle under court order) while he was blogging in support of them. He admits to having been paid by Microsoft in the past.

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  2. Things to know before you ask ... by golodh · · Score: 5, Informative
    There are a number of relevant things to know about Florian Mueller before you start asking him questions.

    Things that people with short memories will have forgotten by now since they happened all of three years ago. Detailed summaries of his doing can still be found on Groklaw though.

    You see, mr. Mueller is not just *any* publicist. He's a publicist who is, basically, for hire by large companies to provide a congenial account of their doings and their position. In short: he is a lobbyist. His (former) clients seem to include SCO (the company who tried to claim crippling copyrights on Linux and engaged in an intense campaign of legal blackmail aimed at companies using Linux) and one of his current clients seems to be Oracle (the company that reied to shut down Android by claiming copyright on Java library API's).

    As summarised by the following posts:

    http://www.groklaw.net/article...

    http://www.dailytech.com/Top+A...

    http://techrights.org/2010/08/...

    My only question to him would be: who is on your current client list?

  3. Re:New low by pegr · · Score: 4, Informative

    If you are not good enough for Pamela Jones (PJ), you are not good enough for me.

    Really, who is responsible for this train wreck? Is the Slashdot editorial staff all twenty-somethings now? Read GrokLaw, you idiots.

    Oh, you want a question? Here's one. Hey Florian Mueller. When is there a good time to tell you to go f*ck yourself? Is now good? GO F*CK YOURSELF!

    (downvote away)

  4. Re:What Is Your Relationship with Microsoft & by radarskiy · · Score: 4, Informative

    He was never a valuable source for anything, which is why it was shocking to find out he became a paid shill. Who would pay for that crap writing?