800 pound gorilla
|
| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| highserv Mar 29, 2006 6:58 AM EDT |
In the courts, it's sometimes not about who's right, but who can spend the most. Why should I not be afraid again? |
| sbenitezb Mar 29, 2006 7:18 AM EDT |
That's because people are stupid ignorants. So yes, those who can convince with money finally win. The whole society loses. |
| jdixon Mar 29, 2006 7:26 AM EDT |
> Why should I not be afraid again? The penalties for patent infringment are essentially two fold: Financial penalties and injuncitons. I.E., you have to reimburse the patent holder for their loses, and you're prohibited from distributing the infringing product. Neither of these apply to users, and neither of them will be effective against Linux. The code is distributed around the world, on servers outside the jurisdiction of any single court. It will still be available to those who want it, even if an injunction is issued. Red Hat, Novell, Mandrake, and the other Linux distributors may have to worry about financial judgements, but even if Microsoft managed to shut down every major distributor; that wouldn't stop Debian, Gentoo, and the other non-commercial distributions. Since they don't make money from their activities, there's nothing for the court to take. |
Posting in this forum is limited to members of the group: [ForumMods, SITEADMINS, MEMBERS.]
Becoming a member of LXer is easy and free. Join Us!