The ChromeOS kernel is Linux.

... Except: Apple is doing it on their own hardware. Microsoft is requiring it from all hardware manufacturers that want a "Certified for Windows 8" sticker, which means pretty much all non-Apple hw makers. See the difference? If Microsoft were doing their own hw and restricting that (like, say, the X-Box), I'd think it was fair game. A pity, yes (just like I consider it a pity that Apple cripples their hardware), but monopolistic? No. But this *is* monopolistic.

Patents have shorter expiration dates because they're far more encompassing. It's practically impossible to duplicate a copyrighted product by chance, and there's little value for society even if so happens. It's quite likely to get close enough to someone's patent though when researching in similar areas, and patents to further inventions, not to hold them back. True, it's less likely in the area of drug research than in computer science, but it's still a risk. Besides, pharmaceutical patents might be of value in countries where people can either afford health insurance or have public health care, but for most people in third world countries, and for that matter poor people in rich countries, generics are the only viable option.

Then how about 5 years from clinical approval?

Now we just need a botnet for Hurd... 1 infected computer would be enough for, say... 100% of the user base :)

Damn, this is the best bloody proposal I've seen in years. Too bad it's likely to be unconstitutional...

Assuming your name is Richard, and you haven't submitted your bug reports under a pseudonym, then I can say for sure that you've either not submitted your bug reports to the kernel maintainer, or that you did so before 2001... So I'm curious as to what experience you're basing your comment on.

If you bother to report a bug against the 2.0 kernel, and it's about functionality actually present in the 2.0-kernel rather than something along the lines of "the 2.0 kernel doesn't support USB3", then I can promise you that the maintainer would at least take a look at it.

[RIAA] Of course it's still piracy if you delete if afterwards and buy it. If you downloaded it hundred times then RIAA^W The Artists will lose 100x the record cost.

from __ future __ import linux-5.5 ?!

ACTA isn't a treaty that has its origin in the UN (or any other forum where there's more than one party with veto). The ACTA is a trade "agreement" dictated by the US. It's pretty much a case of "If you want to be able to trade with us, you better sign this, or we'll impose tariffs on you". If you check out who the signatory nations are, you'll notice that Russia, China, etc. aren't part of the agreement. Why? Because the US doesn't have enough leverage on them.

A cracker is a person who's modifying software to remove the copy protections, adding missing functionality (for games this would be cheat modes), shortening things, etc., to improve it.