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Sun, Patents and Open Source
Posted October 2, 2004 – 8:49 pm by Yakov Shafranovich in TechnologyComing on the heels of GrokLaw article describing Sun’s new stance fighting against towards open source software, is a strange CNET story about a “new patent” filed for by Sun:
Sun Microsystems President Jonathan Schwartz, who speaks often of innovation in sales methods and not just technology, is seeking a patent on the company’s per-employee software pricing plan, CNET News.com has learned.
Apparently, it is not enough to attack the FOSS world. Sun is now thinking of attacking the propertiery software world as well, or so it seems. Of course until the application is published, not much is known. It could also be a ploy to use against Microsoft … but then there is the little matter of a settlement signed between Sun and Microsoft which includes patent indemnification. So far, things are very unclear, but this just points the absurdity of the current patent system.
Tags: open source, patents —
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2 Responses to “Sun, Patents and Open Source”
Go read his latest blog entry - he’s rationale about it, very reasoned in his thinking.
By Bill Smagdorf on Oct 3, 2004
I read it, there is a difference between a normal patent and something frivilous. For example, Sender-ID is a patent on existing work, and so is this specific Sun patent. Companies have been doing per/employee pricing for years, and this is something that has prior art. If on the other hand, Sun were to file for a patent on something truly novel, I would agree. But in this case, I disagree vehemently against them.
By Netwizard on Oct 3, 2004