Re: [Pan-users] VDQ Re: Policy discussion: GNKSA

[Rhialto]

On Sat 09 Jul 2011 at 19:34:35 +1000, Steven D'Aprano wrote:
> That's not how patents work. There's no requirement for actual lines
> of code written by Microsoft to appear in the product to be a patent
> infringement.

That is exactly what makes patents evil. In effect, software patents
monopolize thoughts. Parallel invention is very common in the software
world, and patents don't recognize that fact.

> If Google or other Android phone manufacturers are paying licence
> fees to Microsoft, then presumably they must be using Microsoft's
> patents.

That does not follow. An other possibility is that they have been
bullied into paying. No infringement has been proven, by definition,
because there has been no lawsuit.

> That's just business as usual... all major companies, and
> most minor ones, either cross-licence patents or pay licence fees.

Here is an explanation, for lawyer-types, why software patents should
not exist. http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20091111151305785
There are many more, this is just one. 

-Olaf.
-- 
___ Olaf 'Rhialto' Seibert  -- There's no point being grown-up if you 
\X/ rhialto/at/xs4all.nl    -- can't be childish sometimes. -The 4th Doctor