yes... but you are also solely responsible for the content of your posts should you slander or defame someone else - its a have cake/eat cake kinda thing ;-)

like the moon landing ?

no. I'm saying whatever the original intent, the patent/copyright system is fundamentally broken when it comes to IT (tho not restricted to IT)
whatever product protection the system provides is nothing compared to the damage that is wrought upon the entire industry, as a result.

Generate a list of the top 100 IT companies... and then get the number of lawsuits filed by each against each other.
The list is enormous, and the rest of the industry pays the price.

...apple design illustrations they patented.

and theres the first fucking problem with the entire IT industry. Patents shouldn't exist. Design patents, software patents.... they're all bs, and they're all used, in the main, for big companies to crush little companies - and its been this way since the days of yore... copyright can get fucked too...
 
to be honest, I don't have the energy any more to articulate this issue - the system is so blatantly broken, and has been that way for so long, that the fact that it still exists indicates the vested interests are too strong for the system to be changed in any meaningful way

If you don't want to deal with Google, there's a simple solution for you - and Rupert Murdoch. Make them go away!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robots_exclusion_standard

Of course - there are ramifications with doing this, but thats what you're chasing, isn't it ??

Really !? Because I see it more akin to taking back the neighborhood by standing up to your local crime boss who killed the puppy to make a point...

Of course! And even better, the company you bought the machine from (without an OS) probably paid MS for an OEM license anyway, and MS are still gonna come after you :)

The whole industry is fucked up and has been for a very, very, long time. Given the number of countries and the number of players with a vested interest, the only way we'll see reform is from a total collapse of the patent and copyright systems like we're already seeing with music and movies.

I, for one, would LOVE to know how much money the top 50 IT companies in the world have SWAPPED over patent and copyright lawsuits in the last 20 years - I'm quite sure the figure would be mind blowing for mere mortals.

Is the "appstore" tag on this story referring to the Apple Appstore, or the Amazon Appstore... ?

There's an "apple" tag - so I pondered it for a bit, and for a moment, assumed it to be the "Apple Appstore".
But then this big old "amazon" tag came out of nowhere and muddied (by which i mean diluted (tm) the waters !

So now I'm confused.... which is it ?

ahhh.... no..

Group 3.1) those who might cheat, but don't - are not cheaters....
and group 3.2) those who might cheat, and do. are DEFINITELY cheaters.


Stop trying to give people outs... you either respect the person you're with enough not to treat them like shit, or you don't.

agreed. almost can't believe it myself - and I've worked for them. I'm surprised that a) they went to the trouble of finding out what the GPL was, and b) actually did something positive about it.

When it comes to litigation, Telstra is like Microsoft and will quite happily keep something in the courts for as long as required, in order to maintain some sort of market advantage... this is quite a change !

Having said that Telstra -

WHERE THE HELL IS FROYO FOR MY WILDFIRE !?!?!? YOU'VE BEEN PROMISING IT FOR MONTHS NOW!

Great to take a stand, but seriously, at what point does basic necessity override lofty ideals. Your position assumes that you have another (more ethical) option that allows you to provide for your family. I guarantee you, you can't look into your HUNGRY daughters eyes and tell her its an important lesson in right and wrong. Anyone who CAN do this, is not fit to be a parent IMO