2005-11-01
Patents, dlopen(), and SunOS.
I'm no lawyer, so I may be wrong.
You probably know of one patent, the Eolas "browser plug in" patent, which threatens to kill every known web browser out there. And you probably know that Microsoft is fighting the patent, because it's being sued. And that everyone went about it the wrong way.
So (given I have not even read the actual patent details) I thought "wait, there's this function in Unix called 'dlopen()' that is commonly used in Netscape and Mozilla to load in plugins. It's even described that way. Where does it date back to?"
A google search results in a Nov 16th, 1995 Sun Microsystems document describing a bug in SunOS 4.1.4's dlopen() call.
The patent was awarded in 1998.
Whoops! I belive we got prior art from Sun! Quick, someone sue the Patent Office with this evidence!
You probably know of one patent, the Eolas "browser plug in" patent, which threatens to kill every known web browser out there. And you probably know that Microsoft is fighting the patent, because it's being sued. And that everyone went about it the wrong way.
So (given I have not even read the actual patent details) I thought "wait, there's this function in Unix called 'dlopen()' that is commonly used in Netscape and Mozilla to load in plugins. It's even described that way. Where does it date back to?"
A google search results in a Nov 16th, 1995 Sun Microsystems document describing a bug in SunOS 4.1.4's dlopen() call.
The patent was awarded in 1998.
Whoops! I belive we got prior art from Sun! Quick, someone sue the Patent Office with this evidence!
(no subject)
Oh, for those who keep trying to get me on Names Database... stop.
I reguard these as spam, and they already violate CAN-SPAM. They're not even confirmed opt-in, nor do they have a "NEVER BUG ME AGAIN" opt-out.
The next time, I go to Names Database's ISP, tell them to Knock it off, and forward the whole mess to the FTC.
I reguard these as spam, and they already violate CAN-SPAM. They're not even confirmed opt-in, nor do they have a "NEVER BUG ME AGAIN" opt-out.
The next time, I go to Names Database's ISP, tell them to Knock it off, and forward the whole mess to the FTC.