[Fsfe-uk] Open-source developers "see no problem" with s/w patents ??

[James Heald]

According to somebody at the UKPO "technical contribution" workshop 
today in Glasgow,

> When discussing the impact of software patents on
> open-source software, we were told that many leading open-source
> developers did not think that there would be any adverse impact,
> including people from FFII. Unfortunately, Peter Hayward would not
> tell us which leading open source developer in FFII made such
> comments.

A similar line has also come up in the most recent letters from Malcolm 
Harbour-following Conservative MEPs.


A case could be made that:

*  Open source / free software projects have the advantage of very 
complete public check-in archives to establish prior art.

*  A strong volunteer community (may) be ready to research prior art, 
and fight every stage tooth and nail.

*  Some of the largest open source / free software projects have very 
powerful friends, with substantial patent arsenals of their own

*  Some of the smaller open source projects may swim under the radar, or 
be considered too small to sue.


But is there anybody in the Open Source / Free Software community who 
doubts that the likely effect of software patents would be massive 
disruption to free software, and the likely closing-off of area after 
area to free software ?

Given the there-for-the-takingness of the opportunities that software 
patents would provide for market leaders (either directly, or indirectly 
through proxies like SCO) to hamstring upstart threatening free-software 
projects, can anyone believe they wouldn't be tempted ?


Does anyone know of anyone Peter Hayward might have in mind, when he's 
talking about these "leading open-source developers" who "did not think 
that there would be any adverse impact from software patents" ?

They certainly don't include Linux Torvalds, or Alan Cox, or MySQL...


Anybody heard of leading open-source developers going round reassuring 
people that they're fireproof ?