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<br><br><hr id="stopSpelling">From: MWhipple@itsgames.com<br>To: license-discuss@opensource.org<br>Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2010 08:37:12 -0500<br>Subject: RE: protecting an Innovation from unlicensed abuse by a rival commercial 3rd party<br><br>
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<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><b><font size="2" face="Tahoma"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma; font-weight: bold;">From:</span></font></b><font size="2" face="Tahoma"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma;"> Cinly Ooi
[mailto:cinly.ooi@gmail.com] <br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Friday, June 11, 2010 8:17
AM<br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> Harri Saarikoski<br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cc:</span></b> license-discuss@opensource.org<br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> Re: protecting an
Innovation from unlicensed abuse by a rival commercial 3rd party</span></font></p>
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<p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Dear Harri,<br>
<br>
I am not a lawyer.</span></font></p>
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<p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">My question concerns an
AGPL covered OS software (below Software) developed by Company#1. We (this
writer) are Company#2 who extend this Software to produce Software+ by way of
an Innovation whose copyright Company#2 solely owns. Company#2 and Company#1 are
partners that want to market and sell Software+ <i><span style="font-style: italic;">in full agreement and cooperation.</span></i> Software+ is to add great
value to end clients that Software of any operator in our field (OS or
proprietary) are not able to. Company#1 and Company#2 have no licensing issues
between them. It is rather our common interest to <i><span style="font-style: italic;">protect</span></i> <i><span style="font-style: italic;">Softwa</span></i>re+
<i><span style="font-style: italic;">from a <u>specific </u>type of 'hostile'
third party </span></i>(Company#X). Worst case scenario is: Company#X are aware
we're developing the Innovation, so they most likely wish to copy the
Innovation from first Software+ distribution, continue to implement it in their
next distribution of their own software, and sell the Innovation free under
their own GPL license. We also have non-OS rivals who may freely pick it up,
patent it and there goes a life's work in vain ! This (proprietary
intervention) is in fact the greater threat.</span></font></p>
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In one sentence, you want to exclude a group of people from using your
software+. In your particular case, commercial, for profit group, or a subgroup
of it.</span></font></p>
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<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><font size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">My company uses Open Source software
extensively: at one point, we modified one of the OSI approved licenses in such
a way as to just exclude people from using the OS software we wanted to release
under it for commercial purposes unless they participated in the development of
it. We then tried to get this license approved so we could use OSI-related
resources. The OSI politely but firmly told us that that was not allowable. We
got what I understand was the fairly unusual response of, “It’s a
good license and people should use it if that’s what they want to
accomplish, we just can’t approve it under the OSI guidelines.”</span></font></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"> </span></font></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal"><br><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal"><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">-- </span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">reply: </span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">hmm I can see many people / companies have gone th</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">rough the ve</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">ry same t</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">rain of thoughts as we have (which is good to know) --</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal"><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"><br></span></font></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><font size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">A license to block competitors generally, I
suspect, would meet no greater success.</span></font></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><br><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal"><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">-- </span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">reply: yeah... t</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">r</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
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Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">r</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
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Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">r</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
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Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">rs (I can only expect the mo</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">ral and legal issues</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">)</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
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Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">:</span></font></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal"><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"><br></span></font></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal"><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">1. upon close</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">r </span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">reflection of the OS agenda w</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">rt ou</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">r situation, we a</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">re likely to </span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">release a semi-open sou</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">rce ve</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">rsion of the Innovation unde</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">r Softwa</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">re+</span></font>, because we don't believe competition is something o<font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">r anything that needs to be avoided</span></font> (just as long as we hold the copy<font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">right and the fi</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
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Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">r status</span></font>). I.e. as long as we a<font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">re acknowledged to have been the fi</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
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Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">rket. This has to do with ou</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">r willingness to stay on the ma</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
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Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">r way' despite us doing othe</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">r things with ou</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">r limited time</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">. </span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font> -> conviction to the p<font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">roduct is pa</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">ramount to the level of innovation (got it)<br></span></font></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal"><br></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal">2. the OS licensing policies should in all honesty and all senses of the wo<font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">rd <u>conside</u></span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
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Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">rence between an Innovation and a Clone</span></font></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal"><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">This seems only fai</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">r, which some of the clauses in the OSI licenses p</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">romise to uphold. How can level of innovation be dete</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">rmined a p</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">rio</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
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Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">re any sales p</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">roving it have been done? Difficult, but would you say impossible ?</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
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Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">rs into the common ma</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
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Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">r than the develope</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">r him/he</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">rself can know this?)</span></font><br><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal"><br><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal"><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">In some odd way, we feel declined towa</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">rds the positive p</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">rospect that we would be fine, even if someone like MS stole what was once ou</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">rs. Anothe</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">r thing to conside</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">r is whethe</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">r things have passed then the </span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">way we want to, the 'na</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">tu</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">ral' way</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">. I think they just might, on close</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">r thought. If nothing can be invented that wasn't al</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">ready the</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">re ('public knowledge'), what owne</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">rship can we claim in fact ? <b>Ok, I think I got it: "sha</b></span></font><b><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">re (almost) eve</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">rything </span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font></b><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"><b>and go with the flow". </b>Accept the inf</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">ringement as pa</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">rt of the deal that was made when I sta</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">rted using the OS cove</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">red softwa</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">re</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">. Thanks ;) It's best to go togethe</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">r with someone than alone. Still, se</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">r</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">iously, conside</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">r</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"> what the B</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">r</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">and that MS has ove</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">r</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"> Innovation f</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">r</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">om a single, unb</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">r</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">anded pa</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">r</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">ty. How can maximal fai</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">r</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">ness be implemented in cases that with all fai</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">r</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">ness have a ma</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">r</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">ket </span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">r</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">edealing capability? What would you othe</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">r</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">s advise ? </span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New
Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">-- </span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"></span></font></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal"><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"><br></span></font></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><font size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">As far as the OP’s concern about
non-OS rivals picking up the OS and patenting it, you can’t patent
something if you’re not the inventor (or acting on their behalf for some
reason.) Period. While I am a lawyer (and in fact I’m a patent lawyer) this
is not legal advice, but if this is the concern and they want to prevent it,
they could simply either file their own patent or file an Information
Disclosure Statement with the patent office, or else with one of the commercial
or free information disclosure services, thereby putting it into the public
knowledgebase. Once this is done patenting it would become very, very tricky at
best and under some circumstances completely impossible, even for an
independent inventor. </span></font></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"><br></span></font></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal"><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">-- </span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">reply: well, <b>why did you then say you'</b></span></font><b><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">re not a lawye</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">r in the fi</span></font></b><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"><b>r</b>st place ? ;(<br></span></font></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal"><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"><br></span></font></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal"><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">best </span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">rega</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">rds, Ha</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">r</span></font><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">ri</span></font></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal"><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"><br></span></font></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;">M</span></font></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal"><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3" color="navy" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: navy;"><br></span></font></p>
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