Software patents… as, Obi-Wan warned, “You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious.” Well, the dark side has struck back, people. A massive salvo has been launched, this time aimed directly at the open source community in the form of Trend Micro vs. Barracuda Networks.
I was thinking about a cute little pictograph that would describe the public awareness and attitudes about software patents. Yes, this is highly unscientific. Also, I was too lazy to do it, so I settled for pie charts instead:
75% - Huh? Pass the beer…
24% - I know ALL about software patents… shoes, right?
1% - Programmers & Patent Lawyers
Within the programmers and patent lawyers, we could break it down this way:
75% - I don’t mess with them, they don’t mess with me… please don’t hurt me…
24% - Ban the patent!
1% - Sue me? Sue you!
Is that last group now large enough to start the patent apocalypse? Just like any conflagration, some small sparks can result in a firestorm with devastating consequences.
Just ask yourself… really… are the ideas of free open source software and software patents compatible in any way? Are these two not overdue for a showdown? And what if we lose?
Be afraid… be very afraid…
