Re: Article: IBM wants to "clean up the license" of Linux

Michael Shields (shields@msrl.com)
Mon, 21 Dec 1998 15:34:41 +0000 (GMT)

> On 21 Dec 1998, Michael Shields wrote:
>
> > In article <19981220154531.A17409@hazel>,
> > Raul Miller <rdm@test.legislate.com> wrote:
> > > Wait till products have been out for a while and only
> > > sue the big-money makers.
> >
> > It doesn't work like that; you need to protect your patent against all
> > infringers, or you can lose it.
> > --
> > Shields.
> >
>
> No. That's a Copyright.

I don't know what country you are referring to, but most of this
thread has been focused on the US. In Berne Convention countries for
the last 20 years, a copyright is yours outright even without putting
a notice on your work. A patent must be defended in the US to remain
valid, and it cannot be defended selectively.

Don't take my word for it; read the FAQs.
http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html (section 5)

-- 
Shields.


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