Re: Freetype patent issues
"Brian M. Carlson" <sandals@crustytoothpaste.ath.cx> writes:
> Debian is not patent-free, and will not be patent-free. CAST5 and
> CAST6 are patented but are available for use royalty free. DSA is
> patented by, IIRC, David Kravitz of the NSA. Putting a cursor on the
> screen using XOR is patented.
The XOR cursor patent expired in 1997, IIRC.
> I'm sure the Linux console driver (as well as the Hurd console
> driver) uses that technique, because it is efficient. Copy-on-write
> memory semantics are patented by SGI. And so on.
Copy-on-write is also older than 17 years, AFAIK.
> If Apple decides to actively enforce its patent, you should upgrade
> the severity to serious if the license available for general use is
> not compatible with the Debian Free Software Guidelines.
Who cares about free? Why not have some Legal Software Guidelines
instead?
--
Måns Rullgård
mru@kth.se
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