| Linux Pipeline Newsletter http://www.linuxpipeline.com/ Tuesday, September 14, 2004 In This Issue: - Service Provider: Open-Source Developers Stole My Code - Linux Boosters Look To Keep The OS Together - Firefox Posts Feature-Complete Preview - More News... - Opinion: The Calm Before The Storm? - Opinion: Microsoft Should Open-Source Anti-Spam Technology - Linux Aims For The Desktop - More Picks... This issue sponsored by IBM eServer xSeries Systems. Intel(R) XEON(TM) processor-based servers that are scalable, affordable, and reliable. http://www.techweb.com/pipeline/ibmintel ----------------------------------------- Editor's Note: Solvable Problem 1. EDITOR'S NOTE: Manageable Problem We can expect chowderheads both inside and outside the Linux community to make a big deal out of today's top story. A service provider named Furthermore claims an open-source project got a hold of some of its proprietary code and released the code as open source. Since then, several companies have included Furthermore code in their own projects, the company claims. Open source opponents ( *koff* Microsoft *koff*) are sure to jump on this story triumphantly, as proof of the superiority of proprietary software development. Some open source advocates will respond by screwing their fingers in their ears and sing, loudly, "La la la la la la there's no problem here la la la." Some of these advocates will take their fingers out of their ears long enough to write nasty e-mail to Linux Pipeline. Some of them are already writing hate mail to Furthermore. In fact (1) there is a problem here but (2) it's manageable. The problem is this: If you're a proprietary software developer, what do you do if you believe your code was wrongly released as open source? Right now, the only solution is to try to track down everyone who used the code and get them to pay you for it. If that doesn't work, sue everybody who'll stand still long enough to be served with papers. Likewise, if you're a user, how do you make sure that code advertised as open source is, in fact, legitimate? You don't want to run the business on open source, only to have someone knock on the door months or years later and tell you the software isn't open source after all, and you need to pay up. That can be a real day-ruiner, as well as leading to a career change from information technology to the glamorous world of waste disposal (e.g., picking up waste paper in the park with a big, pointy stick). These are legitimate problems. They are also on their way to being solved. A company called Open Source Risk Management reviews code in open-source projects to certify their legitimacy, and will insure open-source users and developers against claims of intellectual property theft. Also, Pamela Jones, author of the popular Groklaw blog, is working on Grokline, a collaborative project to document the intellectual property ownership of Unix and Unix-like code. According to the project home page, Grokline is "designed to carefully trace the ownership history of UNIX and UNIX-like code with the goal of reducing, or eliminating, the amount of software subject to superficially plausible but ultimately invalid copyright, patent and trade secret claims against Linux or other free and open source software. If there is any code out there that represents a conceivable risk of that kind, we'd like to identify it and mitigate the litigation risk now. If there isn't any valid claim that can be made, we'd like to be able to prove it." Grokline and the OSRM efforts come as open source faces increasing pressures from private intellectual property concerns. OSRM identified 283 patents that could pose a threat to Linux, including two dozen owned by Microsoft. And, while support from big companies like IBM and Novell has been a benefit for Linux, those companies have their own agendas, which may not always be in alignment with the open-source community. And of course there's the SCO lawsuit. 'Nuff said about that. Threats by proprietary vendors who believe their intellectual property rights were infringed are a problem for the open-source community--but the problem is manageable. We'll bring you more news about the open-source community's protections against intellectual property claims in coming weeks. By the way, earlier I wrote about hate mail, and I have to say I'm disappointed with you all. It used to be whenever we ran something critical of Linux or open source, we could count on at least a half-dozen nasty, expletive-filled diatribes in e-mail. But now the nastygrams have slowed to a trickle, and the ones we do get are the more-in-sorrow-than-in-anger kind ("I used to have a lot of respect for your opinions, Mr. Wagner, but now I have to say I am gravely disappointed.... ") Hop to it, people! You're letting me down! I want to see some real psycho screeds in my in-box by tomorrow--the kind of stuff that makes me want to hire bodyguards! Work yourselves up to a self-righteous rage and get to work! Mitch Wagner Service Provider: Open-Source Developers Stole My Code In a case reminiscent of the SCO lawsuit, startup application service provider Furthermore claims its intellectual property was stolen by contractors, and released as open source. Linux Boosters Look To Keep The OS Together
Firefox Posts Feature-Complete Preview
Sun, Microsoft To Reveal New Interoperability Plans Next Month
IBM Touts Entry-Level Linux Servers
IBM Releases Speech Technology To Open Source
Novell Announces Public Beta Of Open Enterprise Server
Open-Source Cores To Aid In System Design
SIS Releases Java-Based RFID Reader
IBM Promises New DB2 Will Take Better Care Of Itself
Sybase Ramps Up Linux Effort With Express Database
Editor's Picks Opinion: The Calm Before The Storm? Few things are more dangerous than a wild animal that gets cornered and can't find a way to escape. Does the same truism apply to the world's largest software company? Opinion: Microsoft Should Open-Source Anti-Spam Technology
Linux Aims For The Desktop
Apple Releases Patch For Mac OS X Voting Booth: Vote For Your Favorite Linux Distribution Cast Your Vote Now! In a recent poll, we asked which Linux distributor you prefer above all others: The field is large; but SUSE/Novell has emerged as the early favorite. The polls are still open and every vote counts. Vote today! Poll Results:
Linux Distros Preferred by Linux Pipeline Readers: Try Linux Pipeline's RSS Feed Linux Pipeline's content is available via RSS feed: Get RSS link. The feed is also auto-discoverable to many RSS readers from the Linux Pipeline home page. Note: RSS feeds are not viewable in most Web browsers. You need an RSS reader, Web-based service, or plug-in to view RSS. Find out which RSS readers the Pipeline editors recommend. Check Out Our
Linux Product Finder Discover All The
Pipelines Recommend
This Newsletter To A Friend This issue sponsored by IBM eServer xSeries Systems. Intel(R) XEON(TM) processor-based servers that are scalable, affordable, and reliable. http://www.techweb.com/pipeline/ibmintel ----------------------------------------- We take your privacy very seriously. Please review our Privacy Policy. Linux Pipeline Newsletter |