From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.5-pre1 (2020-06-20) on ip-172-31-74-118.ec2.internal X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-0.9 required=3.0 tests=BAYES_00,FROM_ADDR_WS autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.5-pre1 Date: 29 Sep 93 03:48:59 GMT From: agate!spool.mu.edu!sgiblab!sgigate!odin!vladimir@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Vl adimir Vukicevic) Subject: Re: GNAT on Mac (was: Current state of Ada 9X compilers) Message-ID: List-Id: In article <2888m9$p1h@cmcl2.NYU.EDU> kenner@lab.ultra.nyu.edu (Richard Kenner) writes: >In article <28858c$212@aggedor.rmit.OZ.AU> Dale Stanbrough writes: >>I presume that if Sun gets a software patent of the sort that the LPF >>disagrees with, the logical consequence of this policy would be for >>GNU/FSF to no longer support any Sun product, including a certain GNAT >>Sparc port? >> >>Is this presumption invalid and if so why? > >Two comments: First of all, the FSF doesn't "support" products in the >normal sense of the word. Although FSF and their volunteers do try to >provide bugfixes when practical, there is no commitment to do so. >Commercial organizations such as Cygnus will offer support contracts >on FSF software. "Support" here is used in a more colloquial meaning. > >Now to get to your substantive point: there is a significant >difference between merely obtaining a software patent and what Apple >has done. Although I cannot speak for the LPF, nor is it practical to >speculate about what the LPF might decide to do in hypothetical >circumstances, it seems highly unlikely that companies would be added >to the boycott merely for obtaining software patents. > >On the other hand, if some company were to undertake litigation to >attempt to use their software patents to block the creation of free >software, that would be something else entirely. > When did Apple do that? I don't think that Microsoft Windows qualifies as 'free software.' - Vladimir --------- Vladimir Vukicevic -- vladimir@intrepid.com with Std_Disclaimer; use Std_Discalimer;