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> Notable examples include (just stuff I already knew about - I'm sure there's lots more in areas I'm not interested in):

Has Microsoft given up on patents related to these technologies?

Because if they didn't, any free software built on them is under threat of patent litigation any time Microsoft feels like it.

There is no other reason for Microsoft to invest in basic research than to build up a patent portfolio that can be used offensively against companies and projects that threaten its market position.




If you came up with the same ideas on your own and built your product based on them, you'd end up in the same situation. You might not even know about it. If you're small enough, they won't care. If you're big enough, someone will sue you whether they have a reason or not. You cannot possibly avoid all patents and are not protected from patents which don't exist yet, but will in the future (you'll be killed by the lawsuit costs anyways).

If you have a problem to solve, there are only so many ways to solve it. If it's an interesting problem you can assume there's a patent covering it already.

What exactly do you gain by evading MS's patents? Is there a reason to worry about patents at all?


In patent infringement, they will sue your users. Since there is nothing like the EULA in free software, the publisher of the product is not liable for your use of it.

Frequently, the threat of patent lawsuits is enough to turn potential users away, specially those with deep pockets.




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