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Loading ...Software Patents and Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS) (Part 1)
I was invited to speak at the IT360 conference on Software Patents and Open Source, which I did in the afternoon of April 9. While my slides are online, I believe it is worth discussing the presentation here for the benefit of those who did not attend.
I offered a few bullets as a summary.
- What is a patent, contrast with other PCT : most people are not clear about the different types of intangible exclusive rights such as Patents, Copyright, Trademarks, and the various related acts, so I summarize them.
- Should software be patentable? : It is important to ask this question, including having an overview of the history in various countries and the different levels of exclusive rights offered to software.
- Software patent issues specific to FLOSS : While it is important to differentiate software from other subject matter, we also need to ask just how different FLOSS is from non-FLOSS when it comes to patents.
- How realistic are different types of threats? : People in the FLOSS sector presume that Microsoft is the greatest threat to FLOSS as they do the most sabre rattling, and I suggest this is not appropriate.
- Policy proposals : I knew there would be people from government there, so I offer some proposals
- Discussion
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(1 votes, average: 8 out of 10) Loading ...Security in transparency and accountability: Linux kernel root exploit
One of the common things you will hear me say is that the most interesting aspects of software can only be understood when using a political science, law or other social science lens rather than a physics or other natural science lens. My experience with the recent kernel bug known as CVE-2008-0600 is offered as an example.
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(2 votes, average: 10 out of 10) Loading ...Oracle expects you to Super-size your 11g
This is why major technology companies don’t reveal the full details about pricing when they launch something. Oracle today said that four of the features president Chuck Phillips (right) and co have been promoting the most in the next generation of its database will not really be a part of the core package at all. Instead, you’ll have to pay for each add-on, whether it’s the Real Application Testing and Advanced Compression (US$10,000 per processor or US$200 per named user), or the Total Recall and Active Data Guard features (US$5,000 per processor or US$100 per named user). The price for Standard Edition (read: no cool new features) remains unchanged from 10g, so at least Oracle is aknowledging that the base version isn’t really worth more than its predecessor, but still.
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(2 votes, average: 10 out of 10) Loading ...Products are people, too. Wait, no they’re not
Whenever someone uses the term “product lifecycle management” I immediately imagine a new A&E version of Biography (or maybe an IT variant of the E! True Hollywood story) featuring a Dell Dimension desktop or an Intel Xeon. If only it were that glamorous.
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(2 votes, average: 10 out of 10) Loading ...Mac Office attack will have to wait
It would be easy to shrugg off Microsoft’s decision this week to delay the release of Mac Office 2008 until January. After all, what’s a few months to such a small portion of enterprise users? Besides, at least this means that for once the numbers mentioned in a Microsoft product name will reflect the actual year it came out.
But if you are stuck working in a Mac-only office, like I was until recently, it can make all the difference in the world.
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