[Mimedefang] Trend Micro patent idiocy - and so it begins

[WBrown at e1b.org]

DFS wrote on 01/30/2008 04:21:01 PM:

> In a previous job, I worked at a company that did integrated-circuit
> reverse-engineering.  When the semiconductor industry was suffering,
> that company did well because struggling semiconductor companies went
> sniffing for patent infringements in competitors' chips to increase
> revenues. :-)  For them, owning a patent portfolio was just another
> strategic business move.  Unfortunately, the free software movement
> can't participate in that game, and patents really are nuclear weapons
> against FOSS.

FOSS developers can make sure to document their work and show it as prior 
art.  Not that it helps pay the legal bills...  But patent suits haven't 
always been devastating to Linux/FOSS.  SCO certainly fell flat on their 
face over that...  I wonder if that's why M$ hasn't filed suit on any to 
the claims they have made about Linux infringing on their IP rights?