Meng Weng Wong <mengwong(_at_)dumbo(_dot_)pobox(_dot_)com> writes:
On Mon, Jul 12, 2004 at 02:28:58PM -0700, Justin Mason wrote:
|
| Excellent -- but first: what is the current situation w.r.t. the IPR
| issues?
|
Right now it looks like the Caller ID terms will be a
problem for opensource software.
Dan Quinlan has been appointed SPF's Vice President for
Licensing and Legal Affairs and in that capacity he is going
to talk to a number of lawyers this week to develop our
position. Once that position has been developed we will
schedule a conference call with Microsoft.
Independently, I believe the IETF is also investigating.
Microsoft has in the past seemed very eager to accommodate
us, so I have every hope that things will turn out well.
Once we have any news, we'll report.
Microsoft has a long track record of opposing and trying to thwart
opensource efforts ... both actively and underhandedly. I hope that the
current CID/SPF cooperation represents a true change of heart on their
part, and not just a ploy to co-opt the opensource SPF effort and then
run it into the ground to enhance the viability of their own,
non-opensource solutions.
I'm trying to remain optimistic, but I have to say that I don't trust MS
in any of this recent collaboration with the SPF community, and I'm glad
that some lawyers are going to get involved.
--
Lloyd Zusman
ljz(_at_)asfast(_dot_)com
God bless you.