[Ffmpeg-devel] Snow?

[Michael Niedermayer]

Hi

On Wednesday 11 May 2005 18:10, Diego Biurrun wrote:
> On Wed, May 11, 2005 at 05:32:42PM +0200, Michael Niedermayer wrote:
> > if you want a certainly patent free codec you have no choice except using
> > one which is older then the expiration timespan for patents
>
> No, that won't help.  People just go out and file patents on old
> technologies again.  Given the abysmal quality of sw patents and the
> checks done in the patent offices this works...

yes i know, but such cases are IMHO/IANAL not the problem, they are too 
obviously invalid
i mean if someone sues because program X infriges patent Y, but X is older 
then any patent could be (that implicates older then the actual patent used 
here) then i somehow doubt that would work, no doubt it could be used for 
threatening and draging inocent people into lawsuits but you dont need 
patants for that, just look at SCO they do this with copyright

such draging into lawsuits could IMHO/IANAL only be stoped by penalties 
against the _person_ behind, so the CEO would personally go to jail after the 
courts agree that the case was based on lies instead of some financial 
penalty against the company which the CEO just leaves as it goes down



[...]
-- 
Michael