[Ubuntu-be] bad news: Microsoft Patents Sudo

[kenneth westelinck]

In the EU, we don't have any software patents, so we as EU citizens 
don't have to worry about using/implementing some incarnation of 
sudo/gksudo/kdesudo. Next to that, it can - and if necessary, will - be 
proven that the "privilege elevation mechanism" is based on prior art. 
This means that whenever Microsoft tries to sue someone over 
using/implementing sudo (and inflicting their so called pattent), it 
will be proven in court that this mechanism existed already back in the 
seventies on mainframes. Please read the comments on groklaw which go 
further into detail on this matter.
Sudo also exists on Mac OS X and I find it very unlikely Microsoft will 
ever sue Apple :)


Pierre Buyle wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I'm not sure there is nothing to worries about. I've not read this 
> patent but I bet it is yet another vague one over a nearly trivial idea 
> expressed in a way allowing broader interpretation when necessary but 
> with a narrower one at first read. For a good example of such patents, 
> search the web for the"limited resource computing device". This specific 
> wording is used in Microsoft's patents. And what does it means ? All 
> computing devices have limited resource, except for the theoretical ones 
> such as the universal Turing machine. But for pro-patent folks, this 
> restrict the patents to embedded device such as small dives like PDA and 
> smartphone. And even if they are right, with the blurring of lines 
> between handleds, netbooks, subnotebooks and laptops, how could one be 
> sure that his/her software is not covered by theses patents ?
> 
> I believe, as many, that software patents are bad. And not only to free 
> and open source softwares but for our whole economy. The basic idea 
> behind patents was good, but its implementation is flawed and abused. I 
> don't think it can be fixed in the US and I don't want it in the EU. 
> Visit http://www.nosoftwarepatents.com/ for more information.
> 
> On Sat, Nov 14, 2009 at 10:17 AM, kenneth westelinck 
> <kenneth.westelinck op telenet.be <mailto:kenneth.westelinck op telenet.be>> 
> wrote:
> 
>     No worries:
>     http://www.informationweek.com/news/windows/opensource/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=221700117
> 
>     Y P wrote:
>      > Is this true ?
>      >
>      > http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20091111094923390
>      > (EN)
>      >
>      >
>     http://www.clubic.com/actualite-310444-microsoft-brevet-commande-type-sudo.html
>      > (FR)
>      >
>      > Y P
>      >
>      >
> 
> 
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