Re: New MS patent: sounds like PG db rules

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: pgsql-general-owner(at)postgresql(dot)org
[mailto:pgsql-general-owner(at)postgresql(dot)org] On Behalf Of Shane Ambler
Sent: May 29, 2008 1:37 PM
To: Justin
Cc: Martin; Nikola Milutinovic; pgsql-general(at)postgresql(dot)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

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