Messages in this thread |  | | Date | Tue, 3 Oct 2000 13:59:16 -0300 (BRST) | From | Rik van Riel <> | Subject | Re: Tux2 - evil patents sighted |
| |
On Tue, 3 Oct 2000, Thomas Davis wrote:
> > For another fine example of GPL technology covered by a parent, check out: > > > > http://www.patents.ibm.com/details?pn=US06049528__ > > > > This a patent filed by Sun in June 1997 and awarded in April 2000 which > > covers very well the ethernet bonding device in Linux 2.2.x. > > > > I wonder if the equalizer device present in Linux kernels since before > > 1996 could count as prior art. IANAL, of course. > > Or, even better, the fact that Ethernet bonding has been > available as a Linux patch since about 1995.. > > I'm sure Donald Becker could produce prior art on that one!
I'm pretty sure Sun won't force the issue. Since prior art is available on a few hundred FTP sites, they would be foolish to sue and nullify their patent ;)
[better keep up the status quo so they can try to get a few bucks from random sucke^W^Wother software companies infringing on their intellectual monopoly^W^Wpatent]
regards,
Rik -- "What you're running that piece of shit Gnome?!?!" -- Miguel de Icaza, UKUUG 2000
http://www.conectiva.com/ http://www.surriel.com/
- To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/
|  |