Re: Regarding OOXML and Microsoft patents

[Rui Miguel Silva Seabra <rms 1407 org>]

On Wed, Jul 18, 2007 at 11:44:40AM -0400, Miguel de Icaza wrote:
> 
> > > The problem is that the above url is far from being truthful.  You do
> > > not have to go too far to find problems with it, starting with the
> > > discussion that we were having on this forum regarding the Microsoft OSP
> > > patent promise.   
> > 
> > I have issued with it, it is only for *required* parts which are
> > *described in detail* and *not merely referenced*.
> 
> As I already mentioned, those pieces are tiny (the metafile images),
> they are old, so any patents in there would expire and ODF depends on
> those as well.
> 
> > > For one, the description on that page is at odds with the statements by
> > > Larry Rosen on the license (I included it at the end of this message).
> > > Rosen's statement is from November 2005, and reflects the pre-OSP
> > > promise, but this is discussed in the above url, and considered a
> > > non-starter which puts it at odds with Rosen's position.  
> > 
> > You're parroting Microsoft propaganda.
> 
> Instead of using an ad-hominem attack, you could point us why Larry
> Rosen is wrong and you are right, his credentials seem pretty solid to
> me:

It's not an ad-hominem attack. It's almost word for word what Stephen
McSomething said in the Portuguese Technical Commission.

Same for the other parroting comment.

> Then produce the legal council that contradicts Rosen.

There are many such legal council opposite to Rosen's.

AFAICT there's not a single signed piece of paper from a group of
independent lawyers studying said promise for every country, so it's
quite an invalid assertion to think it is a valid promise :)

Same for most of all others. In the US you may have estoppel, but it's
not present in all laws.

Rui

-- 
Umlaut Zebra �ber alles!
Today is Prickle-Prickle, the 53rd day of Confusion in the YOLD 3173
+ No matter how much you do, you never do enough -- unknown
+ Whatever you do will be insignificant,
| but it is very important that you do it -- Gandhi
+ So let's do it...?