On Sun, Sep 19, 2004 at 11:09:07PM +0100, Matthew Garrett wrote: > Thomas Hood <jdthood@yahoo.co.uk> wrote: > > > The important part is that company B has no freedom to sue A for patent > > infringement while continuing to use software published by company A upon > > which it may have come to rely. > > Why do we consider that freedom important? Hm. As long as it's related to software, you're right. When it transcends into other domains, though, I understand the point being made. Unlike in the software business, there are some domains (such as pharmaceutics) where patents really are crucial to innovation (at least I can't think of anyone willing to go through the required procedures to bring a new drug to the market without at least /some/ assurance that nobody else will benefit off of his investments). Indeed, patent defense clauses should be limited to patents related to the software the license is all about; but that should not mean all patent defense clauses are evil. -- EARTH smog | bricks AIR -- mud -- FIRE soda water | tequila WATER -- with thanks to fortune
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