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Re: Patents, was [Re: OT - XML Parallel Parsing, was [Re: setjmp, longjmp, parser state, threads]]

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On 28-Jul-15 04:41, Morten W. Petersen wrote:
> On 28.07.2015 11:28, Richard Bos wrote:
>> Sadly, when it comes to software patents, sufficient legal muscle
>> means you never have to admit you look like a moron until you run
>> into someone with even more legal muscle. (See also: Apple.)
> 
> Well I know if I get into something like that, I'll probably blog
> and tweet about it.
> 
> It would be nice if some legal experts would dissect these cases and 
> tell what's really going on, then the rest of us could talk about it 
> and know which companies to avoid working for or buying products
> from.
> 
> Realistically though, it looks like at some level this is a game
> that big companies play, and that it is very unlikely that big
> companies will go after "the little guy".

The software industry has collectively agreed that the very idea of
software patents is bogus and uses them mainly for defensive purposes.
Cross-licensing agreements are common, even if one side has hundreds or
even thousands of patents and the other (currently) has zero.  Actual
lawsuits between vendors are extremely rare.

> I'm more worried about various lesser known companies that can work 
> on big company agendas or even other people's personal agendas
> without it being obvious.  Or people that have found a rather dubious
> way of making money.

The problem is "patent trolls" who buy up patents (mostly from defunct
companies), sit on them for years while software vendors unknowingly
violate those patents, and then pop up and sue everyone.  Since they
make nothing themselves, there is no cross-licensing and no way for the
victims to countersue.

Many companies will just pay trolls to go away because it's cheaper than
beating them in court--and that's what they're counting on.  The major
vendors will often take them to court, even though it costs them more in
the short run, as a matter of principle--and to rack up precedents in
their favor for the long run.

S

-- 
Stephen Sprunk         "God does not play dice."  --Albert Einstein
CCIE #3723         "God is an inveterate gambler, and He throws the
K5SSS        dice at every possible opportunity." --Stephen Hawking

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setjmp, longjmp, parser state, threads "Morten W. Petersen" <morphex@gmail.com> - 2015-07-27 20:50 +0200
  Re: setjmp, longjmp, parser state, threads Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-07-28 00:22 +0100
    Re: OT - XML Parallel Parsing, was [Re: setjmp, longjmp, parser state, threads] Jeff Higgins <jeff@invalid.invalid> - 2015-07-27 21:00 -0400
      Re: OT - XML Parallel Parsing, was [Re: setjmp, longjmp, parser state,   threads] Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2015-07-28 13:57 +1200
        Re: OT - XML Parallel Parsing, was [Re: setjmp, longjmp, parser state,   threads] Jeff Higgins <jeff@invalid.invalid> - 2015-07-27 22:13 -0400
          Re: OT - XML Parallel Parsing, was [Re: setjmp, longjmp, parser state,     threads] Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2015-07-28 17:12 +1200
            Re: OT - XML Parallel Parsing Jeff Higgins <jeff@invalid.invalid> - 2015-07-28 09:46 -0400
          Re: OT - XML Parallel Parsing, was [Re: setjmp, longjmp, parser state, threads] "Morten W. Petersen" <morphex@gmail.com> - 2015-07-28 10:07 +0200
            Re: OT - XML Parallel Parsing, was [Re: setjmp, longjmp, parser state, threads] raltbos@xs4all.nl (Richard Bos) - 2015-07-28 09:28 +0000
              Patents, was [Re: OT - XML Parallel Parsing, was [Re: setjmp, longjmp, parser state, threads]] "Morten W. Petersen" <morphex@gmail.com> - 2015-07-28 11:41 +0200
                Re: Patents, was [Re: OT - XML Parallel Parsing, was [Re: setjmp, longjmp, parser state, threads]] Stephen Sprunk <stephen@sprunk.org> - 2015-07-28 20:53 -0500
                Re: Patents, was [Re: OT - XML Parallel Parsing, was [Re: setjmp, longjmp, parser state, threads]] "Morten W. Petersen" <morphex@gmail.com> - 2015-07-29 05:15 +0200
                Re: Patents, was [Re: OT - XML Parallel Parsing, was [Re: setjmp, longjmp, parser state, threads]] Joe Pfeiffer <pfeiffer@cs.nmsu.edu> - 2015-07-28 22:34 -0600
      Re: OT - XML Parallel Parsing, was [Re: setjmp, longjmp, parser state, threads] Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-07-28 03:06 +0100
    Re: setjmp, longjmp, parser state, threads "Morten W. Petersen" <morphex@gmail.com> - 2015-07-28 10:44 +0200
      Re: setjmp, longjmp, parser state, threads Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2015-07-28 22:14 +1200
        Re: setjmp, longjmp, parser state, threads "Morten W. Petersen" <morphex@gmail.com> - 2015-07-28 15:17 +0200
      Re: setjmp, longjmp, parser state, threads Jeff Higgins <jeff@invalid.invalid> - 2015-07-28 08:35 -0400
      Re: setjmp, longjmp, parser state, threads James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2015-07-28 10:29 -0400
        Re: setjmp, longjmp, parser state, threads "Morten W. Petersen" <morphex@gmail.com> - 2015-07-28 16:39 +0200
  Re: setjmp, longjmp, parser state, threads jadill33@gmail.com - 2015-07-28 06:47 -0700
    Re: setjmp, longjmp, parser state, threads "Morten W. Petersen" <morphex@gmail.com> - 2015-07-28 16:56 +0200
      Re: setjmp, longjmp, parser state, threads Noob <root@127.0.0.1> - 2015-07-28 18:04 +0200
      Re: setjmp, longjmp, parser state, threads jadill33@gmail.com - 2015-07-28 10:53 -0700
        Re: setjmp, longjmp, parser state, threads "Morten W. Petersen" <morphex@gmail.com> - 2015-07-29 04:59 +0200
  Re: setjmp, longjmp, parser state, threads Bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-07-28 16:29 +0100

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