--Matt Asay, April 21st, 2008
A FEW days ago we became aware of the Microsoft-friendly IAM with its latest/upcoming event (as usual, with patent maximalists as sponsors). It is an IAM event, so basically IAM agenda, including software patents promotion. They are hoping to shape patent policy (see "Programme") and as Benjamin Henrion put it, it is "Microsoft and others writing swpat [software patents] law: "Key topics for legislators to consider: a solution for 101 uncertainty"..."
"As a reminder, earlier this year software patents from Intellectual Ventures were aimed at Linux devices (in the courtroom) and recently a failed case of Intellectual Ventures led to the potential death of all software patents in the US."Longtime readers of ours probably don't need to be convinced that Microsoft is still an enemy of GNU/Linux, at the very least by virtue of promoting software patents (there's a lot more than that). Sites like Phoronix may have fallen in line with the "LOVES LINUX" nonsense (a PR campaign), but judging by the company's actions -- not mere words -- it is still a vicious opponent that cannot be trusted.
The largest patent troll of Microsoft (which attacks Linux with software patents) still fights for software patents. Yes, Intellectual Ventures is just one among many Microsoft-connected trolls that prey on Linux. Here is one new report about it: "Earlier this week, Intellectual Ventures (IV) petitioned the full Federal Circuit to review the panel opinion inIntellectual Ventures v. Symantec, which invalidated two of its patents under section 101. Both patents—the ’050 and the ’610—are directed to filtering email or file content. (IV does not challenge the invalidation of a third patent, which was directed to receiving, screening, and distributing email.) The petition echoes concerns raised by clients, courts, and the patent bar about the growing uncertainty about what is—and what is not—patent eligible, especially in the area of software patents. Identifying two emerging fault lines in the court’s evolving section 101 jurisprudence, IV urges the full court to bring much needed doctrinal clarity and methodological consistency to the patent eligibility analysis."
This was also covered in another report (partly behind paywall) which says "Intellectual Ventures asked the full Federal Circuit on Tuesday to review a panel decision that invalidated two of its patents on detecting spam and viruses for claiming only abstract ideas, saying the ruling “directly conflicts” with other decisions on patent-eligibility."
"It would be nice if we did not have to mention Microsoft at all, but it just keeps interfering with (and trying to undermine) Free software, so it's impossible to ignore this company."As a reminder, earlier this year software patents from Intellectual Ventures were aimed at Linux devices (in the courtroom) and recently a failed case of Intellectual Ventures led to the potential death of all software patents in the US. It's clear that Intellectual Ventures intends to keep fighting that decision. It wants to keep extorting all sorts of companies, extracting patent payments (settlements from them). Intellectual Ventures is closely connected not just to Microsoft but to Bill Gates personally.
IAM's apologists of trolls had the cheekiness to say the other day that "as you know, a lot of infringement goes uncontested because of the cost of litigating in the US."
That's nonsense. "A lot of patent bullying goes unchallenged ('protection money' paid) because of the cost of litigation everywhere," I told them and "seen it personally," added the former lawyer of Samba, Carlo Piana. As Benjamin Henrion (FFII) put it, "politicians don't care about small companies."
"I thought big companies were the targets of litigation," said Jamie Love (Knowledge Ecology International, or KEI for short), probably joking about this myth.
The matter of fact is, Microsoft and its patent trolls continue to lobby pretty hard for software patents, yet the Linux Foundation somehow found it appropriate to join Microsoft and help Microsoft spread its lies (e.g. that .NET is open even though it's not and SQL Server comes to GNU/Linux even though technically it will run on top of a Windows kernel, which in turn sits on GNU/Linux).
I had a lot more to say about the Linux Foundation joining Microsoft (yes, it certainly feels like the suitable way to put it), but I wrote it succinctly in Diaspora* and other such sites as I wish to focus all energy and time on the patent systems, not on Microsoft specifically. It would be nice if we did not have to mention Microsoft at all, but it just keeps interfering with (and trying to undermine) Free software, so it's impossible to ignore this company. ⬆