Pavel,
You can be assured that if we start dialouging about how we are going to
use Linux to "export" and "steal" technology patents from US companies
in violation of export and patent laws we may end up seeing Janet Reno
"the chick with a dick" start getting pissy with us (they're called
"patents" because under section 113 of the United States Constitution,
inventors are granted exclusive rights for some period of time to an
invention and these inventions are registered with a Federal Agency who
regulates them -- the US Patent Office).
You are correct that free speach rules here (US Supreme court has upheld
that the burning of the US flag and the KKK advocating lawlessness as a
means of political reform are both protected rights of expression -- I
don't agree with the latter BTW). However, sending emails on computers
in the US where we encourage people to break US laws and "convert" IP
could end up with Federal Marshall's visiting Rutger's University and
seizing our computers as evidence.
FYI. The US first got wise to our good buddy Saddam in Iraq when
several US companies complained about technology theft (i.e. patents)
being used illegally outside the US, then claimed Saddam was using their
stuff for "the manufacture of weapons of mass destruction."
What would really suck is if the US government ended up regulating Linux
(like they are trying to regulate Microsoft) because they cooked up some
lame excuse that,
"... The Linux community is made up of individuals from former Soviet
Block countries, and are using Linux to circumvent US export laws by
converting patents and using them within these countries for the
development of biological, nuclear, and checmical weapons of mass
destruction..."
In case, no one has noticed, the US government is attempting "global"
control of the internet -- that's why they went after Microsoft and why
they are going after AOL and Sprint/MCI. It's also why Microsoft's
appeal will get "rubber stamp denied" by the US courts.
Let's not give them an excuse to intrude into Linux business. This kind
of stuff is all the excuse they would need. It's not anarchy in this
country, and most of us care ....
We are the next target in their sights, since Linux clearly threatens US
control of the global internet. You can be assured that they are
montitoring this list.
Let's not talk about ripping off patents, at least not on the "formal"
list.
:-)
Your friend,
Jeff
Pavel Machek wrote:
>
> Hi!
>
> > > Or just make sure you don't live in United States. (Where did free
> > > speech go? You can't tell other people algorithm to do v.34 without
> > > consulting it with a lawyer? Why is noone sure what issues really are?
> > > Is it only FUD?)
>
> > Don't be mislead -- international patent law does reach into most
> > countries these days (including yours), and the US is known to trade
> > embargo, bomb and invade (along with the UN) countries who violate
>
> Well, GNU laboratories in Prague are located guess where? In
> anti-nuclear bunker 3 floors below terrain. I guess I should reserve a
> bed there :-).
> Pavel
> PS: I do not think this applies. Software patents are US-only
> stupidity.
>
> PPS: If you have something _concrete_, like v.34 implementation has to
> violate patent #312413 valid in U.S., China and Iraq; let me
> know. Otherwise I guess only reasonable method is to code v.34 and
> then see who screams we are violating their patents. (And then send
> those to /dev/null. ;-)
> --
> I'm pavel@ucw.cz. "In my country we have almost anarchy and I don't care."
> Panos Katsaloulis describing me w.r.t. patents at discuss@linmodems.org
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