RE: open source. was Closed system (was: PC connection via twinax ?)

Chris,

>     My reply questioned Leif's statement that "most patent filings are
> to keep anyone from using the idea."
>     I am aware that IBM has been a leader in filing patents for many
> years. I am aware that IBM has had patents on many things
> from "Printing
> with a printer directly attached to a computer" to manufacturing
> processes for memory chips.
>     If Leif's statement is true, then more than half of all
> IBM's patent
> filings (or anyone's filings) are simply to keep ideas from
> being used.

I'm not sure on the numbers (whether it's greater or less than 50%), but I'd
tend to believe that it was getting towards 50% - there is a huge 'market'
for the 'buying' and 'selling' (basically the transfer of patent ownership)
of patents - some of which can not even be turned in to viable 'products'
given today's current manufacturing and technology limitations.

Sony is another company that hold a large number of patents - some of which
it holds purely to have the advantage if an infringement case ever gets to
court - others it 'buys' out of revenue potential (and that's not a bad
thing either).

--phil