[Python-Dev] Re: Recent IBM Patent releases

[Scott David Daniels]

Terry Reedy wrote:
> "Scott David Daniels" <Scott.Daniels at Acm.Org>
>>I believe our current policy is that the author warrants that the code
>>is his/her own work and not encumbered by any patent.
> 
> Without a qualifier such as 'To the best of my knowledge', the latter is an 
> impossible warrant both practically, for an individual author without 
> $1000s to spend on a patent search, and legally.  Legally, there is no 
> answer until the statute of limitations runs out or until there is an 
> after-the-fact final answer provided by the court system.

Absolutely.  I should have written that in the first place.  I was
trying to generate a little discussion about a particular case (the
released IBM patents) where we might want to say, "for these patents,
feel free to include code based on them."  My understanding is that
we will remove patented code if we get notice that it _is_ patented,
and that we strive to not put any patented code into the source.

--Scott David Daniels
Scott.Daniels at Acm.Org