I was also under the impression that if a patent on a process was in common use before it is patented, the patent is void. Samba has been out there for quite a while. Just imagine if someone tried to patent ice. -----Original Message----- From: tclug-list-bounces at mn-linux.org [mailto:tclug-list-bounces at mn-linux.org]On Behalf Of Chad Walstrom Sent: Monday, March 27, 2006 12:34 PM To: tclug-list at mn-linux.org; T.J." Duchéne Subject: Re: [tclug-list] 2. our new CFO challenging my FOS advocacy (gregwm) TJ wrote: > Now that software patents are wholesale in the industry, it makes > this even more unlikely. Microsoft patented their CIFS protocol, aka > "file-sharing" in Windows, then licensed to everyone as an open > standard - BUT deliberately said you CANNOT use it for GPL or other > similar "share-alike" licenses. You can look it up, if you don't > believe me. To do so is a legal liability here in the US. I don't have the time to do the research to validate this statement. I'm interested in the links that you could provide to support it. -- Chad Walstrom <chewie at wookimus.net> http://www.wookimus.net/ assert(expired(knowledge)); /* core dump */ _______________________________________________ TCLUG Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota tclug-list at mn-linux.org http://mailman.mn-linux.org/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list