Re: [DotGNU]Re: microsoft patents

[Rhys Weatherley]

On Thursday 13 February 2003 03:37 am, Bradley M. Kuhn wrote:
> David's points on RAND are quite correct.  For the patent to be
> implementable in GPL'ed Free Software, it has to be licensed under a RF
> license without any field of use restrictions.

I know, which is why I'm continuing to chase up what RAND means in this 
context.  I'm on the case, and will hopefully have a good picture of how this 
application may or may not affect us in a few days.

In the meantime, it should be situation normal - keep hacking on DotGNU.

> Rhys, do you have any information if they are also pursuing the patent
> application in Australia?

Not yet, but there are various patent cross-recognition treaties between the 
US and Australia, and the Australian government's willingness to roll over on 
IP issues when trying to get access to US food and resource markets (the US 
has already raised IP "normalization" as a bargaining chip in free trade 
talks and our government will probably just say "ok").

I have to take the paranoid position of assuming that a US patent will turn 
into an Australian one in short order.  So, we have to find a way around this 
at the US level.

Cheers,

Rhys.