[LINK] HP balks at patent provision in GPL update

Craig Sanders cas at taz.net.au
Mon Aug 7 14:10:04 AEST 2006


On Mon, Aug 07, 2006 at 01:47:37PM +1000, Deus Ex Machina wrote:
> HP balks at patent provision in GPL update
> 
> http://news.com.com/HP+balks+at+patent+provision+in+GPL+update/2100-7344_3-6101381.html

"balk" is way too strong a term.

HP's objection seems to be that the GPLv3's patent provisions only
mention the author(s) of the software and don't explicitly mention the
distributor(s).

their proposed change includes any distributor of the software as well.

seems perfectly reasonable to me. i expect the GPLv3 committee will see
likewise and adopt the fairly minor change.



from the sidebar in the article:

HP's suggested changes

Hewlett-Packard said it would be content with the patent portion of General
Public License version 3 if a few changes, in capital letters below, were
added to Section 11:

You receive the Program with a covenant from each author and THE conveyor FROM
WHOM YOU RECEIVED the Program, and of any material, conveyed under this
License, on which the Program is based, that the covenanting party will not
assert (or cause others to assert) any of the party's essential patent claims
in the material that the party conveyed, against you, arising from your
exercise of rights under this License. If you convey a covered work, you
similarly covenant to all recipients TO WHOM YOU CONVEY THE WORK, including
recipients FROM YOU of works based on the covered work, not to assert any of
your essential patent claims in the covered work.


craig

-- 
craig sanders <cas at taz.net.au>           (part time cyborg)



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