Miscellaneous > The Lounge
Patents: Free Software under serious threat
Pantso:
That's apparently so Calum. :(
Back on topic. I'm in the process of writing a formal letter to one of our MEPs about the patents issue, as simply and clearly as I can. I took your own letter as reference btw. ;) And yes, it's true that a letter is much more credible than a simple e-mail so just pick a piece of paper and a pen (in the good old-fashioned way) and show that you really care!
neo_x500:
WAIT. We had a lawsuit in the U.S. over this crap. Apple sued Microsoft because the new windows version was to similar to the mac os. Apple lost, and microsoft screwed them on the agreement for microsoft to make office software for apple. This was where apple got screwed big time. Now if this patent thing was made law in the U.S. wouldn't apple have the right to patent their OS, since they brought the GUI into wide use. Before you harp, I know my facts aren't all straight, but I got the thrust of it. Anyway, couldn't apple re-open this thing, it would make Microsoft Windows AGAINST THE LAW!! Because mac os is now based on Unix, open source would survive. It would put apple back in control. Techniquely IBM created the first GUI, but they let Apple jump on it. One of the two would have control if this software patents came into effect. I doubt it will happen though, since the wheel has been reinvented so many times already. Would it really make all the new "wheels" unusable, illegal?
GoodwillMan:
It would also make every other GUI against the law to. Including the X Windowing System, which is used by Linux. Software patents are bullshit!
billy_gates:
quote:Originally posted by Neo:
WAIT. We had a lawsuit in the U.S. over this crap. Apple sued Microsoft because the new windows version was to similar to the mac os. Apple lost, and microsoft screwed them on the agreement for microsoft to make office software for apple. This was where apple got screwed big time. Now if this patent thing was made law in the U.S. wouldn't apple have the right to patent their OS, since they brought the GUI into wide use. Before you harp, I know my facts aren't all straight, but I got the thrust of it. Anyway, couldn't apple re-open this thing, it would make Microsoft Windows AGAINST THE LAW!! Because mac os is now based on Unix, open source would survive. It would put apple back in control. Techniquely IBM created the first GUI, but they let Apple jump on it. One of the two would have control if this software patents came into effect. I doubt it will happen though, since the wheel has been reinvented so many times already. Would it really make all the new "wheels" unusable, illegal?
--- End quote ---
I don't think it would be possible to sue MS again because you can't cue somebody more than once for the same thing. Also, Xerox invented the GUI not IBM. Apple stole it from Xerox. Xerox sued and lost. Then MS stole it from Apple. Apple sued and lost. I guess they kind of deserve losing, not only did Apple scrap all over Xerox. They gave MS permission to use "Some" of their GUI compenents.
Pantso:
Don't be consumed in such details people. The issue of software patents is more serious than you can imagine and it concerns all of us one way or the other. Therefore I suggest you read Calum's article once more.
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