[oclug] Fwd: [edlug] Rather Depressing

[Greg]

Rod Giffin wrote:
> On Fri, March 18, 2005 18:38, Greg said:
> 
>>Rod Giffin wrote:
>>
>>>>http://ffmpeg.sourceforge.net/
>>>>
>>>>"FFmpeg is seriously threatened by software patents due to the numerous
>>>>patented techniques it implements. Also threatened are the many programs
>>>>built upon FFmpeg, like the free software multimedia players MPlayer,
>>>>xine, VLC, avifile, gstreamer"
>>>
>>>
>>>It's too bad they don't include any method (or request) for programmers
>>>to
>>>help them work around the patents they're threatened by as well.
>>
>>That is what a patent forbids.
> 
> 
> That's a common misconception.  A patent for a method of skinning cats
> does not patent all methods for skinning cats, and there is more than one
> way to do it.

http://www.groklaw.net/

   That is what innovation is all about, coming up with new
> ways.

True.  However, we are discussing patents.

> Rod.
>