Re: [Fsfe-uk] Public money and freedom

[Chris Ball]

>> On Sun, 14 Dec 2003 19:25:51, Space Bunny <address@hidden> said:

   > Dasher software is free software under gpl but I seem to remember
   > that it is covered by patent, I am not sure if patent is own by
   > uni or researcher himself or some other body. I tried to quickly
   > find some info on website and could not.

Hi, I'm one of the Dasher developers.  Dasher is certainly not covered
by any patents; the inventor (the head of the research group I work in)
has strong beliefs both towards Free Software and against patents.  As
you mention, Dasher is released under the GPL.

   > I may just email them and ask, and ask how they hope to use
   > patent just for leverage against those who try to use patents
   > against it and it allies, or for general gain for owner.

I don't imagine a patent for Dasher will ever be granted.  We won't 
be applying for one, and it's been a well-publicised project (we had 
a paper published in _Nature_, for example) since the late 1990s.

- Chris.
-- 
Chris Ball                                        <address@hidden>
  Inference Group:            <http://www.inference.phy.cam.ac.uk/is/>
  The Dasher Project:     <http://www.inference.phy.cam.ac.uk/dasher/>