Software patents and free software: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 09:33, 19 February 2022

Revision as of 17:14, 17 March 2022

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}}</ref> The Linux kernel developers subsequently worked around it.<ref>See the kernel option VFAT_FS_DUALNAMES</ref>

In 2011 a company called Bedrock Technologies LLC won a judgment of $5 million against Google for use of the Linux kernel, which the court found to violate US patent 5,893,120 (which was filed in 1997 and issued in 1999, and covers techniques for [[software caches]] likely used in every modern operating system). Bedrock went on to sue Yahoo and lost; Yahoo's defense amounted to the use of a different version of Linux which did not execute the particular code that Bedrock had pointed out as infringing,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.itworld.com/article/2742293/open-source-tools/yahoo--wins-verdict-in-bedrock-patent-trial.html |title=Yahoo! wins verdict in Bedrock patent trial {{Dead!}} ITworld link|datewebsite=Februarywww.itworld.com 2022|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150409031602/http://www.itworld.com/article/2742293/open-source-tools/yahoo--wins-verdict-in-bedrock-patent-trial.html |archive-date=2015-04-09}} </ref> but the Yahoo case did not invalidate Bedrock's patent.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.h-online.com/open/news/item/Yahoo-wins-Linux-patent-trial-that-Google-lost-1243687.html|title = Yahoo wins Linux patent trial that Google lost - the H Open: News and Features}}</ref> Details of exactly which code Bedrock said infringed the patent and how Yahoo managed to avoid executing that code are not publicly available<!-- (as far as I can see; if anybody knows, please add a reference) -->.

In January 2008, [[Trend Micro]] accused [[Barracuda Networks]] of patent infringement for distribution of the [[ClamAV]] anti-virus software.<ref>{{cite web