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Re: How free is Debian



I wrote:
> I'd just flat out restrict them to five years.  Twenty is too long.

Andrei writes:
> That would work against inventors as instead of buying useful patents
> companies would just wait 5 years and then use it without any charge.

Anyone can practice an expired patent without any charge.  That's why
they expire.  Companies could wait 20 years now but they usually don't:
it's worth money to be in the market now.  If it was 5 years they'd pay
less, but they'd still pay.

-- 
John Hasler 
jhasler@newsguy.com
Elmwood, WI USA


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