That is the correct legal conclusion... so there ;)
NatePuri Certified Law Student & Debian GNU/Linux Monk McGeorge School of Law [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://ompages.com On Thu, 18 Mar 1999, Jules Bean wrote: > On Thu, 18 Mar 1999, Bruce Sass wrote: > > > On 16 Mar 1999, Henning Makholm wrote: > > > Clause 7 of the GPL simply states that the right to make copies > > > of the covered program does not apply if there's a patent which > > > applies to the code and whose owner contests the free distribution > > > of the code. > > > > > > Say that IBM released their code under GPL in the above scenario. > > > Company B might still go to court, and they might succesfully argue > > > that their patent is valid and applies to the program. However, in the > > > same moment the judge decides this, >poof< the GPL effectively > > > vanishes from all copies of the program (or at least all copies in the > > > same jurisdiction). > > > > So GPLed becomes non-free, because no license == non-free? > > Yup. > > > > > > IBM wouldn't be stuck with having licenced out > > > infringing code, so company B wouldn't probably get more out of their > > > suit than if there had been a revocation clause which IBM had > > > voluntarily invoked. > > > > :( It sounds like including a patented algorithm in your code could > > be tantamount to including a revocation clause in the license you > > distribute with the code. > > True, I'm afraid. > > That's the bugger about allow algorithms to be patented. > > What's worse, is that you might not even know the algorithm is patented.. > > Jules > > /----------------+-------------------------------+---------------------\ > | Jelibean aka | [EMAIL PROTECTED] | 6 Evelyn Rd | > | Jules aka | [EMAIL PROTECTED] | Richmond, Surrey | > | Julian Bean | [EMAIL PROTECTED] | TW9 2TF *UK* | > +----------------+-------------------------------+---------------------+ > | War doesn't demonstrate who's right... just who's left. | > | When privacy is outlawed... only the outlaws have privacy. | > \----------------------------------------------------------------------/ > > > -- > To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >
