[odf-discuss] OpenDocument traps, was: UPGRADE monograph about OpenDocument and OOXML

[M. Fioretti]

On Sun, Apr 01, 2007 19:16:54 PM +0200, Thomas Zander (zander at kde.org)
wrote:

> > I know, but this would only be enough (at least for a Public
> > Administration which _should_ do everything by the letter of the
> > law, which is the main context I worry and write about) if it were
> > legal to write, distribute and publicly use (even once) that piece
> > of software converter to free the document. At least as far as
> > Free software is concerned.
> 
> And that would not be a problem, as I stated there are ways to
> sidestep the patent. Or simply get 1 license to convert stuff.
> Point is; your article claims that doom is impending while you are
> clearly leaving out all the legal ways of dealing with the issues

1) see my other reply about generating patents after patents to
   perpetuate the problem
2) Certainly there are legal ways of dealing which issues which
   already exist. That is converting stuff which has already been put
   into locked formats. But it would be terribly stupid (and, yes,
   doom for some public budgets anyway) to remain trapped in the wrong
   way of doing things for much longer than the duration of one single
   patent just because there are legal ways to clean the mess.

> So, what you are saying is that besides patent problems there are
> other problems. Fine. Then please remove all references to 'patent'
> where they are false

False? Not completely explained, probably. What I plan to do is to add
after this discussion one comment which adds the extra explanation (as
I am not sure I have the permissions to modify already published
articles on that blog).

	Marco

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