Comments on: On open source and intellectual property http://neilmcallister.com/2007/05/21/on-open-source-and-intellectual-property/ The homepage of Neil McAllister, San Francisco-based technology writer and illustrator. Fri, 05 Sep 2008 21:33:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Neil McAllister http://neilmcallister.com/2007/05/21/on-open-source-and-intellectual-property/#comment-23 Neil McAllister Wed, 05 Sep 2007 18:18:36 +0000 http://neilmcallister.com/2007/05/21/on-open-source-and-intellectual-property/#comment-23 So Michael, are you saying that open source software infringes Microsoft's patents? If so, which ones? Because Microsoft ain't talking. So Michael, are you saying that open source software infringes Microsoft’s patents? If so, which ones? Because Microsoft ain’t talking.

]]> By: Michael Singer http://neilmcallister.com/2007/05/21/on-open-source-and-intellectual-property/#comment-22 Michael Singer Wed, 05 Sep 2007 14:36:44 +0000 http://neilmcallister.com/2007/05/21/on-open-source-and-intellectual-property/#comment-22 "open soure" -- paging Dr. Freud. But seriously, let's be careful: there's a huge difference between "Redmond has no plans to go after customers for patent infringements" and "it's ethical to incur patent infringements, so it's good to let Open Source do whatever it wants." It's important (even in the subtext messages we send when we talk about it) to make distinctions between what Open Source should be and do, and what it shouldn't. “open soure” — paging Dr. Freud. But seriously, let’s be careful: there’s a huge difference between “Redmond has no plans to go after customers for patent infringements” and “it’s ethical to incur patent infringements, so it’s good to let Open Source do whatever it wants.”

It’s important (even in the subtext messages we send when we talk about it) to make distinctions between what Open Source should be and do, and what it shouldn’t.

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