Re: [boost] software patents?

From: Greg Colvin (gcolvin_at_[hidden])
Date: 2000-10-20 10:44:23

From: Beman Dawes <beman_at_[hidden]>
> Greg Colvin wrote:
> 
>  >Of course, with the US Patent Office churning out thousands of
>  >software patents there is every chance that some Boost code already
>  >violates some patents. If so I wonder if Boost itself is liable, or
>  >if responsibility rests on those who use Boost to create an actual
>  >product?
>  >
>  >If Boost is liable what are we supposed to do about it?
>  >
>  >I myself refuse to read any patents, on the grounds that knowingly
>  >violating a patent is a worse crime than unknowingly doing so.
> 
> Let sleeping dogs lie.

Oracle's patent attorney gave me the same advice.
 
> We aren't lawyers; we could talk about patents all day but it would just be 
> speculation.

Agreed.  My point is that I'm not inclined to reject a Boost
submission just because someone claims it might violate a patent.