Re: [Patents] Re: Re: gnu & patents

[Seth Johnson <seth.johnson@RealMeasures.dyndns.org>]

The GPL has a political effect that helps very well in the fight against
software patents.  That is not its sole purpose.

It's just that in legal terms, it can't work against software patents in the
same strong legal way it works against repressive copyright notions
regarding code.

Seth

Hartmut Pilch wrote:
> 
> > > from gpl:
> >
> > > Finally, any free program is threatened constantly by software patents.
> > > We wish to avoid the danger that redistributors of a free program will
> > > individually obtain patent licenses, in effect making the program
> > > proprietary. To prevent this, we have made it clear that any patent must
> > > be licensed for everyone's free use or not licensed at all.
> >
> > Quite well known, but not a means of fighting patents, rather a means of
> > forcing GPL software to withdraw from patented territory.
> 
> or: a means of organising the retreat of GPL software from patented
> territory.

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