[Openicc] CxF and open source (non?) compatibility

[Bob Friesenhahn]

On Wed, 14 May 2008, Graeme Gill wrote:
>
> But by definition, USA patents only apply to the USA, and
> currently the USA has an unusually wide interpretation of
> what matter is patentable. In most other countries, algorithms
> and business methods are not patentable.

The above is not really true.  The USA has trade agreements with many 
other countries and these mutual agreements usually include a 
commitment to enforcing the patents and copyrights of the other party. 
This is a major purpose for trade agreements (the other is tariff 
control/reduction).

As far as GPL goes, GPLed code can't be distributed if using it would 
violate a patent.  If the patent is held by the author of the code, 
then free use is granted for that code.  A patent held by some other 
party could also block distribution of GPLed code.

For every patent that one becomes aware of, there are another ten 
patents you are not aware of which will be revealed when your market 
share becomes large enough to produce some money.

Bob
======================================
Bob Friesenhahn
bfriesen at simple.dallas.tx.us, http://www.simplesystems.org/users/bfriesen/
GraphicsMagick Maintainer,    http://www.GraphicsMagick.org/