On Fri, Dec 05, 2003 at 08:57:07AM -0600, Rick Parrish wrote:
I'd like to follow Andrew's "crazy ideas" with one of my own.
How about structuring a defensive IP policy?
I'll use a file system as my example but this applies to just about anything unique or novel in the React OS implementation. Suppose someone comes up with a new improved file system design ... makes it available under GPL like terms but also backs it up with a patent. Suppose that this new file system becomes very popular. Users, over concerns of their data being held captive by a proprietary media format, switch to this new FS. Microsoft, following a long history of embrace and extend (the kiss of death), decides to incorporate this FS as an "innovative feature" in a future OS release. However, the patent-backed licensing terms include a "gotcha" clause that requires any commercial entity to share patent portfolios (sounds fair doesn't it?) ...
Sounds fair, but is not compatible with the GPL afaik. Which doesn't have to be a problem, i don't see why we need to use the GPL for everything anyway (for example, i wouldn't care less if we includeded a notepad which was released under the BSD licence).
Mark