Re: Tux2 - evil patents sighted

From: Matti Aarnio (matti.aarnio@zmailer.org)
Date: Tue Oct 03 2000 - 14:10:59 EST


On Tue, Oct 03, 2000 at 09:42:04AM -0700, Thomas Davis wrote:
> Ion Badulescu wrote:
...
> > For another fine example of GPL technology covered by a parent, check out:
> >
> > http://www.patents.ibm.com/details?pn=US06049528__
> >
> > This a patent filed by Sun in June 1997 and awarded in April 2000 which
> > covers very well the ethernet bonding device in Linux 2.2.x.
> >
> > I wonder if the equalizer device present in Linux kernels since before
> > 1996 could count as prior art. IANAL, of course.
>
> Or, even better, the fact that Ethernet bonding has been available as a
> Linux patch since about 1995..

        I am fairly sure that that is in series of "will patent
        that so that nobody can ransom us"... (Like IBM did
        with HTML.)

        Surprisingly I don't see any patent at Cisco Systems which
        relates to that ? They have been doing ether-channel for
        ages, but perhaps their solution is just an implementation
        of Sun's idea ?

> I'm sure Donald Becker could produce prior art on that one!
> --
> ------------------------+--------------------------------------------------
> Thomas Davis | PDSF Project Leader
> tadavis@lbl.gov |

/Matti Aarnio
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