Re: ARC patent
Jeff Davis <jdavis-pgsql@empires.org>
From: Jeff Davis <jdavis-pgsql@empires.org>
To: Bruce Momjian <pgman@candle.pha.pa.us>
Cc: pgsql-hackers <pgsql-hackers@postgresql.org>
Date: 2005-01-17T21:06:04Z
Lists: pgsql-hackers
> You want scarey --- forget the IBM patent. Find an Oracle or Microsoft > patent that is similar to something in our code. It will might not be > exact, but our ARC isn't exact either. > > Basically any organization that wants to produce patent-free code would > need one lawyer for every five programmers, and even then it isn't 100%. > The method I have heard to find infringement sounds pretty imprecise. > > The remedy for patent infringment I think is usually to stop using the > patented idea, rather than punitive damages, unlike copyright. > Is that for all kinds of patent infringement, or only the didn't-know-better kind? Right now I don't think we can claim "didn't-know-better". Also, does "stop" mean stop distributing the patented process, or stop using all installations? Regards, Jeff Davis