Re: [Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org>] Re: Debian & BSD concerns
On Fri, Mar 12, 1999 at 01:10:25PM +0200, Fabrizio Polacco wrote:
> On Thu, Mar 11, 1999 at 08:51:42PM -0600, John Hasler wrote:
> > A slimy character could release a program as free software but patent a key
> > algorthm, and then demand royalties from everyone who uses the program.
>
> IMHO patents protect *methods* of producing "things", and not cover the
> use of the thing itself.
But software embodies a process, and when the software runs, it
excercises the patented proces (or so say the patenters) - its
use is therefor subject to the whims (license) of the patent
holder.
...
> But anyway this is questionable, when there is no commerce involved.
> In most country, the law explicitly says that protection is only against
> *commercial* use of the patent.
> In Europe schools do not have to license patents to use them while
> teaching, when teaching how to produce that thing.
Here, even private use is subject to license, commercial or not.
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