Educause Security Discussion mailing list archives
Re: OT: Software patent FUD?
From: Tracy Mitrano <tbm3 () CORNELL EDU>
Date: Thu, 8 Dec 2011 01:39:20 +0000
Without collusion or intent, you are probably on safe ground, Steve, but one would need more facts before knowing for sure. Tracy On a mobile device, please excuse typos. On Dec 7, 2011, at 6:10 PM, "Steve Bohrer" <skbohrer () SIMONS-ROCK EDU> wrote:
I expect most of us are not lawyers, and I'm not either, but I just wanted to check on a common sense level (Not, of course, that common sense is necessarily relevant to legal action.) As far as software patents go, my basic thought is that there is a big difference between being a consumer of infringing software, vs. being a developer of the infringing software. I'd always assumed that buying a commercial product meant you did not have any particular responsibility for any potential patent infringement problems of the product. For example, if I buy a GM car, and then someone sues GM for infringing a patent, I'm pretty sure they can't come after me and sue me as a patent infringer just because I was driving my car. I don't, as far as I know, need any special language in my car-buying-contract to protect me from any patent sins that GM might have committed. If someone does successfully sue GM over a patent issue about my car, and GM can't settle, would I then need to stop using the infringing car? That could be a hassle, but is still much a much lesser problem than being sued as an infringer. Even if it came to loss of the car, seems like GM would owe me a refund, since they'd sold me a car that turned out to not be usable. Steve Bohrer Network Admin Bard College at Simon's Rock 413-528-7645
Current thread:
- Re: Deepfreeze on vm's?, (continued)
- Re: Deepfreeze on vm's? SCHALIP, MICHAEL (Dec 07)
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- Re: Deepfreeze on vm's? Dennis Meharchand (Dec 07)
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- Re: Deepfreeze on vm's? Dennis Meharchand (Dec 07)
- Re: Deepfreeze on vm's? Mclaughlin, Kevin (mclaugkl) (Dec 07)
- OT: Software patent FUD? Steve Bohrer (Dec 07)
- Re: OT: Software patent FUD? Jay Fowler (Dec 07)
- Re: OT: Software patent FUD? R. J. Cronk (Dec 07)
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- Re: OT: Software patent FUD? Tracy Mitrano (Dec 07)
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- Message not available
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- Re: FW: Michael - Patent Infringement Notice Hanson, Mike (Dec 08)
- Re: FW: Michael - Patent Infringement Notice Drew Perry (Dec 08)
- Re: FW: Michael - Patent Infringement Notice Semmens, Theresa (Dec 08)
- Re: FW: Michael - Patent Infringement Notice Sarazen, Daniel (Dec 08)
- Re: FW: Michael - Patent Infringement Notice Ken Connelly (Dec 08)
- Re: FW: Michael - Patent Infringement Notice Chuck Dunn (Dec 08)
- Re: FW: Michael - Patent Infringement Notice Carson, Larry (Dec 08)
- Re: FW: Michael - Patent Infringement Notice Valerie Vogel (Dec 08)