Noel J. Bergman wrote:
"Linux violates more than 228 patents, according to a recent report
from a research group", Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer
said at the company's Asian Government Leaders Forum in
Singapore. "Someday, for all countries that are entering the WTO,
somebody will come and look for money owing to the rights for that
intellectual property."
ref:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/biztech/11/19/tech.microsoft.linux3.reut/index.
html
We don't need to worry about managing Linux IP, but in my view, this is far
from an isolated event.
Note that this is largely FUD on Microsoft part, right now you can't
enforce a
software patent in most of the world, WTO or no WTO.
The WTO TRIPS agreement that covers extension of patents within the WTO does
not automatically force all countries to recognize software patents as valid.
You have an extensive coverage and analysis of software patent issues
(European point of view) here:
http://swpat.ffii.org/
With some special analysis on WTO TRIPS applicability:
http://swpat.ffii.org/analysis/trips/
--
Raphaël Luta - [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Apache Portals - Enterprise Portal in Java
http://portals.apache.org/
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