[Patents] patent pools enforcing per-copy-licensing mode of software development

[Ram'on Garc'ia Fern'andez ramon@jl1.quim.ucm.es]

On Wed, Dec 27, 2000 at 04:31:46PM -0500, Gregory Aharonian wrote:
> In fact, now that the easy money is not longer out there, I suspect there
> will be more interest in the open source world to more fully protect
> their intellectual properties, i.e., software. 

Other points are correct but this one is clearly wrong.

Patent fees are so expensive that no independent programmer can afford
filling patents. Open source is not an exception.

In general, Greg usually belittles the cost of patents and patent lawsuits.
For example, he says that hyperlink patent is not so dangerous because
there is prior art that invalidates the patent, thus ignoring that a lawsuit
to invalidate this patent will cost about $500,000 per claim.

Even if Adobe won his patent lawsuit against Quantel, Adobe had to
expend $4,500,000 in the lawsuit. A smaller company would be broken
by the legal costs.

Another Greg's nuisance is that he seems to like to remind that he
does not see any special with software when this is not the topic that
is being discussed. Greg, I already know your opinion and you already
know my opinion. Please respect my opinion as much as I respect yours.

Ramon