There is https://priorart.ip.com/ to make claims to novel ideas (this costs money).
I also share the idea that it would be amazing if companies could get together and fund a non-profit that would hold a "patent portfolio"/ideas of open source projects and their contributors. I'm no lawyer, but that would imply that the open-source licensing would have to change. Copyright stays the same but patent licenses could be granted free of use to anyone using the open source product or modification of the product. However, a commercial product using an idea / patent in the open-source portfolio *could* be enforced by the non-profit. Hell, essentially fight back against larger companies and hold a stronger leverage. It's the only way I can think of that companies using open-source projects could fight the patent system. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Shane Ambler Sent: May 29, 2008 1:37 PM To: Justin Cc: Martin; Nikola Milutinovic; pgsql-general@postgresql.org Subject: Re: [GENERAL] New MS patent: sounds like PG db rules Justin wrote: > I'm proposing a CYA that could be used to protect all open source > projects not just postgresql. Instead of complaining about how wrong > the system is and the need to change it is. Use the system to > protect the project. > Exactly. The real problem is that the first one to apply for a patent gets it. It really doesn't matter who invents it. If we have patents that cover our work then we can control who uses it and for what purpose, also preventing others from patenting our ideas and stopping us from using them. Whether we handle our own patents or contribute them to another groups collection of patents is up for debate. Two groups heading this way that I know of - http://www.patentcommons.org (MS and Oracle are listed as contributors here) http://www.openinventionnetwork.com These seem a little similar to each other to me - the supporters/members are basically the same with different contributors. I am sure there was another but I can't seem to recall what it was. -- Shane Ambler pgSQL (at) Sheeky (dot) Biz Get Sheeky @ http://Sheeky.Biz -- Sent via pgsql-general mailing list (pgsql-general@postgresql.org) To make changes to your subscription: http://www.postgresql.org/mailpref/pgsql-general -- Sent via pgsql-general mailing list (pgsql-general@postgresql.org) To make changes to your subscription: http://www.postgresql.org/mailpref/pgsql-general
