OSWALD Newsletter Archives (by issue #, click to view)
The Open Source Law Weekly Digest or OSWALD first launched late in 2002. Since then it has been regularly providing updates on all things open source related. The focus of this newsletter is on business, rather than technical developments in open source. Another strong component of the newsletter is IP news, as it is of interest to me and has an effect on open source.
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Welcome to the Open Source Law Weekly Open Source Digest (OSWALD)
There is a petition out against "secure boot" being run by the FSF. Android 4 is out as is its sister product, the Galaxy Nexus. In Off topic news, the EU is debating whether to go Stasi on everyone's computer usage to protect the children.
Check my Posts on Authorization in AU/iiNet: http://brendanscott.wordpress.com/2011/09/01/iinet-the-history-of-authorization-and-sanction-approve-countenance/
http://brendanscott.wordpress.com/2011/09/07/iinet-authorisation-and-the-nature-of-the-relationship-under-1011ab/
*From my blog: http://brendanscott.wordpress.com/2011/07/01/gov-2-0-open-source-wrongness/
http://brendanscott.wordpress.com/2011/05/18/iinet-disturbed-by-full-federal-court-decision/
http://brendanscott.wordpress.com/2010/12/07/cablegate-shows-copyright-as-the-emporers-new-clothes/
Verbatim distribution with attribution ok.
Other distribution - email me.
Regards
Brendan
Brendan Scott
Open Source Law
***** Off Topic
EU Parliament Debates Installing A Black Box On Your Computer http://activepolitic.com:82/News/2011-10-19d/EU_Parliament_Debates_Installing_A_Black_Box_On_Your_Computer.html
He proposes an early warning system of criminal activity, specifically whenever an image of sexually abused children is detected, an alarm, goes to the authorities to be able to see who uploaded it.
***** Government/Policy
Going From "Ow" To "Wow" In Open Source http://www.efytimes.com/e1/creativenews.asp?edid=71496
Lots more is still left to be done. We need to visit schools and colleges to ensure that all young minds are familiar with Linux. In schools, computer learning is restricted to Windows. My 10-year-old comes home and wants to practice on MS Word. And I don't have a single computer with Windows at home. How can we let this happen to our kids? We need to get more pro-active at the school level and advocate the useage of Linux instead of Windows.
Free Software Foundation urges OEMs to say no to mandatory Windows 8 UEFI cage http://www.zdnet.com/blog/open-source/free-software-foundation-urges-oems-to-say-no-to-mandatory-windows-8-uefi-cage/9770
http://ostatic.com/blog/in-the-windows-8-vs-linux-debate-a-windows-pundit-makes-a-great-point
http://www.fsf.org/campaigns/secure-boot-vs-restricted-boot/
If you buy Microsoft’s explanation for the company requiring a version of UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) on PCs that can run Windows 8, it’s there to protect users from next-generation malware. If you think that’s the only reason for the UEFI to be in there, I have a nice bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.
How Diaspora Found Its Tiger Stripe in the Midst of a Paypal Fiasco http://blog.diasporafoundation.org/2011/10/19/how-diaspora-found-its-tiger-stripe-in-the-midst-of-a-paypal-fiasco.html
Now, for the bad news… We had raised $45,000 in just a few days, and then PayPal froze our account.
A tech-savvy U.S. senator comes to Silicon Valley http://venturebeat.com/2011/10/18/an-tech-savvy-u-s-senator-comes-to-silicon-valley/
Essentially, Wyden is a champion of privacy, liberty, and innovation at a time when fear is driving limitations on these matters.
USPTO to Conduct Studies http://ipwatchdog.com/2011/10/18/uspto-to-conduct-studies-of-prior-user-rights-and-international-patent-protection-for-small-businesses-per-america-invents-act/id=19879/
“Public participation in both the Prior User Rights Study and the International Patent Protection Study is necessary to assist the agency in preparing for Congress the most informed and accurate report possible. ”
***** Patent/CR/DRM News+Policy
Preparing for Mayo v. Prometheus Labs http://www.patentlyo.com/patent/2011/10/guest-posts-preparing-for-mayo-v-prometheus-labs.html
In Mayo Collaborative Services v. Prometheus Laboratories, Inc. , the U. S. Supreme Court looks to address questions of whether and when certain types of medical methods are patentable subject matter. Prometheus specifically involves methods for optimizing patient treatment in which the level of a drug metabolite is measured and a measured level above or below a recited amount "indicates a need" to decrease or increase dosage levels.
Court Rejects Righthaven's Attempt To Stall About Paying Legal Fees http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111019/10474816415/court-rejects-righthavens-attempt-to-stall-about-paying-legal-fees.shtml
We recently wrote about Righthaven trying to get the appeals court to drop the requirement that it put up a $34k bond to cover legal fees owed in the Hoehn case, as it argued it needed the money for its other cases. The appeals court didn't buy the argument.
Google vs. Oracle trial delayed, but it’s no threat to Android, spokesperson says http://venturebeat.com/2011/10/19/oracle-google-lawsuit-trial/
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/19/oracle-google-lawsuit-idUSN1E79I1DE20111019
http://www.courthousenews.com/2011/10/18/40714.htm
Also, the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is still in the process of reexamining the patents and claims in question.
How A Texas Dog Park Became A New Front In America’s Patent Wars http://paidcontent.org/article/419-how-a-texas-dog-park-became-a-new-front-in-americas-patent-wars/
Thanks to their reputation for friendly juries and fat verdicts, several east Texas towns including Longview have over the years become go-to venues for patent plaintiffs looking to extract millions of dollars from major companies.
Viacom, Google clash in court http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118044661
Viacom sought to reverse a lower court ruling in favor of YouTube on Tuesday, arguing before a federal appellate court that the video site's success was built on unlicensed content from its own copyrighted content such as "The Daily Show" and "South Park. "
Samsung v Apple http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-10-18/samsung-gets-some-apple-smartphone-patent-claims-dismissed.html
The iPhone maker’s claims that Samsung misrepresented its intent to license certain patents on fair terms was dismissed and Samsung’s request to throw out some of Apple’s antitrust claims was granted in a ruling today by U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California. Koh said Apple can amend its complaint to revive Koh didn’t rule on Apple’s request to block Samsung from selling its Galaxy line of mobile devices in the U.S. based on claims they violate Apple patents. - BusinessWeek
The smartphone patent wars http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/de24f970-f8d0-11e0-a5f7-00144feab49a.html#axzz1bA8rIMrX
In the graphic below, click on a company’s logo to see details of its patent lawsuits and licensing agreements, and then click again for details of individual cases.
***** Applications/Gadgets
Free Metasploit Community Edition released http://net-security.org/secworld.php?id=11800
Zend Debuts PHPcloud http://www.serverwatch.com/server-news/zend-debuts-phpcloud.html
ownCloud 2: Your Personal Cloud Server http://www.webupd8.org/2011/10/owncloud-2-your-personal-cloud-server.html
ownCloud is a free software alternative to some proprietary web services and it currently includes file management (with built-in file sharing), music streaming, calendar, contacts and more - all running on your computer or server. .
Samsung Unveils The Galaxy Nexus, The First Phone To Run Android Ice Cream Sandwich http://www.businessinsider.com/galaxy-nexus-ice-cream-sandwich-announcement-2011-10
http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/18/samsungs-galaxy-nexus-gets-official-android-4-0-4-65-inch-hd/
http://mashable.com/2011/10/18/google-launches-android-ice-cream-sandwich-os/
Samsung and Google showed off the Galaxy Nexus, the first phone to run Android Ice Cream Sandwich.
Brilliant: This Android app lets blind users type on a touchscreen http://thenextweb.com/apps/2011/10/18/brilliant-this-android-app-lets-blind-users-type-on-a-touchscreen-video/
We spoke to Daftery after looking at the demonstration above and he had some more information to share with us. For starters, the app will support not just the 26 letters of the alphabet but also some special characters like whitespace, backspace and newline. To enable it to be used with any application on the system, he is trying to get it to work as an alternative keyboard, which he can then distribute via the Android Market.
Microsoft Contributes Biology Project to Open Source http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Linux-and-Open-Source/Microsoft-Contributes-Biology-Project-to-Open-Source-376424/
Microsoft has contributed its . Net Bio project to the Outercurve Foundation, a software IP management and project development governance organization for open-source efforts.
Willow Garage Continues to Advance Open Source Robotics http://ostatic.com/blog/willow-garage-continues-to-advance-open-source-robotics
Now, approximately 25 institutions are developing robotics applications on Willow Garage's open platform.
***** Reports
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich: everything you need to know http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/android-4-0-ice-cream-sandwich-everything-you-need-to-know-954464
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/open-source/android-40s-five-best-new-features-for-users/9781
http://developer.android.com/sdk/android-4.0-highlights.html
http://download.cnet.com/8301-2007_4-20124010-12/ice-cream-sandwich-makes-tough-security-taste-better/
The company says 4. 0 is a complete rethink of Android's image and is part of a push to make the OS "Enchant me, Simplify My Life, and Make Me Awesome. "
OpenSim considering patent protection http://www.hypergridbusiness.com/2011/10/opensim-considering-patent-protection/
OpenSim developers are discussing ways to combat damaging patent litigation, including changing the OpenSim license to deter potential patent trolls.
Big Data, MapReduce, Hadoop, NoSQL: The Relational Technology Behind the Curtain http://www.enterpriseappstoday.com/business-intelligence/big-data-mapreduce-hadoop-nosql-1.html
Hadoop has its limits for Big Data analytics – and relational databases may have more of a future than you think.
Google's mobile chief on Microsoft's 'dangerous' moves http://www.techflash.com/seattle/2011/10/google-mobile-head-on-microsofts.html
In contrast, Rubin said the Android operating system is an open one that customers can adapt to their own purposes. Amazon recently did so with its new Kindle Fire tablet, hiding the Android OS under its own interface, which Rubin said is “fine for Google. ”
Sony Ericsson bringing Ice Cream Sandwich to Xperia handsets http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/20/sony-ericsson-bringing-ice-cream-sandwich-to-xperia-handsets/
Yesterday, in a post on its Facebook page, Sony Ericsson's Dutch branch stated that it will indeed upgrade its Xperia lineup to the latest Android OS, though it didn't offer any details on release dates.
How an extinct zebra could upend the networking market http://gigaom.com/cloud/how-an-extinct-zebra-could-upend-the-networking-market/
Quagga is an open-source routing daemon that is named after an extinct African zebra. The code been languishing without an organized community, but it’s also something vendors large and small are playing with.
***** Snippets
Linux 3.0.7 Released http://article.gmane.org/gmane.linux.kernel/1204318
Apache Disavows Team OpenOffice.org e.V. http://www.itworld.com/it-managementstrategy/213997/apache-disavows-team-openofficeorg-ev
Is Ubuntu Becoming a Poor Man's OS X? http://www.datamation.com/open-source/is-ubuntu-becoming-a-poor-mans-os-x-1.html
Linux 3.1 rc10 http://www.linuxtoday.com/developer/2011101900141NWKNSM
Open source jobs: What's hot, where to look, what to learn http://www.itworld.com/it-managementstrategy/214031/open-source-jobs-whats-hot-and-where-look
If Android 'Feels Wrong' then I don't want to be right http://www.zdnet.com/blog/perlow/if-android-feels-wrong-then-i-dont-want-to-be-right/19071
Which Ubuntu Variant is Right For You? http://www.datamation.com/open-source/which-ubuntu-variant-is-right-for-you-1.html
At Home With AV Linux http://www.linuxjournal.com/content/home-av-linux
The importance of Google Dart http://opensource.com/business/11/10/importance-google-dart
Ubuntu Hardware Summit 2011 Announced http://news.softpedia.com/news/Ubuntu-Hardware-Summit-2011-Announced-228240.shtml
Anti makes wardriving child’s play with a rooted Android phone http://www.geek.com/articles/mobile/anti-makes-wardriving-childs-play-with-a-rooted-android-phone-20111017/
Open Secret: Cisco Site Shares Privacy Approach http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/open_secret_cisco_site_shares_privacy_approach/
Is Patent Expert/Blogger Florian Mueller Getting Too Cozy With Microsoft? http://paidcontent.org/article/419-is-patent-expertblogger-florian-mueller-getting-too-cozy-with-microsoft/
EU court bars stem cell patents when embryos destroyed http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/18/idUS320444761020111018
HP TouchPad gets webOS 3.0.4 update, now able to answer calls from non-webOS phones http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/18/hp-touchpad-gets-webos-3-0-4-update-now-able-to-answer-calls-fr/
How to install Android on the HP TouchPad http://www.pcpro.co.uk/features/370558/how-to-install-android-on-the-hp-touchpad
Blackberry Playbook 2.0 OS Leans Heavily on Android http://www.cnet.com/8301-17918_1-20122001-85/blackberry-playbook-2.0-os-leans-heavily-on-android/
Cloud, open source, and new network models http://news.cnet.com/8301-19413_3-20121638-240/cloud-open-source-and-new-network-models-part-2/
Canonical Extends LTS Desktop Support, Shuffles Org Chart http://www.internetnews.com/blog/skerner/canonical-extends-lts-desktop-support.html
Prefer Open Source? Join the Crowd http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/242300/prefer_open_source_join_the_crowd.html
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