RE: Intellectual Propriety

I thought it was a very interesting move on IBM's part. I also think it
was a good one, and I am fairly excited about it. I hope this becomes a
repeating trend at IBM, and one that other companies will follow.

Dan Feather
-----Original Message-----
From: java400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:java400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Blair Wyman
Sent: Friday, January 14, 2005 2:36 PM
To: Java Programming on and around the iSeries / AS400
Subject: Intellectual Propriety


Hola, everybody.  Light fare for a Friday afternoon...

Hey, this little company I work for (ticker symbol IBM) did what I think
is
a Really Neat Thing, and I am dying of curiousity about how this erudite
and august body will react.

Basically, IBM gave 500 of its patents to the open source community, by
legally promising never to 'assert' them against OSS. (Now, I'm no
lawyer
-- I have enough people that don't like me already -- but it sure looks
on
the up-and-up to my Big Blue eyes.)

Personally, I'm very excited by this -- my name is on one of these
patents
-- and I could not be happier.  Developing IP has always been a
love/hate
thing for me, with most of the justification being 'defensive:' "If we
don't, they will..."  Now, when I think "patent" I am going to feel a
LOT
better about it.  Self-delusion?  Maybe...   You be the judge.

Anyway, here are the links:
      story:
http://w3-03.ibm.com/systemstechnology/technology/news/2005/0111-patents
.html
      list (PDF):
http://www.ibm.com/ibm/licensing/patents/pledgedpatents.pdf

(btw, the one that's near and dear to my heart is US5701489  :-)

Comments?  Scathing rebuttals?  Angry accusations?  (Whaddy think this
is,
Fox News?)  ;-)

-blair

  ___   _           Blair Wyman                  IBM Rochester
 ( /_)  /  _  ' _   (507)253-2891            blairw@xxxxxxxxxx
__/__)_/_<_/_/_/_'  Opinions expressed may not be those of IBM


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