In 2008 It Is Good To Recycle [fake news]
10 February 2008 by oliverOne of the great mysteries during the process to standardize OpenXML is where some of the news stories come from, especially when they are clearly not substantiated by facts. As I have spent more time reading some of the blogs on this topic I have slowly begun to understand how some of these stories spin up, I thought it would be fun to share one with you.
Two weeks ago one of the fringe sites that have sprung up during the process, NoOOXML.org, published a random list of patents held by Brian Jones, Microsoft’s member of Ecma TC45, pointing out that the list may or may not relate to Open XML, the article shared the same tone with similar articles and basically tried to spread a little more FUD around the topic of IPR and OpenXML. You will find it linked here.
Next step, Harish Pillay, Red Hat’s Chief Technical Architect in APAC appears to have copied that same list into a blog entry implying that this is all part of Microsoft’s ongoing evil plan. Harish’s post here is here.
And then a couple of days ago NoOOXML.org then picked up the article from Harish’s blog, seemingly having no recollection that they already posted this same list in a different context or that it came from them in the first place. They quote Harish’s findings and this time they identify the list as patents covering OpenXML rather than being attributable to Brian and posted them again with a new and more dramatic twist…. because that is where the interim posts had led them.
BINGO, out pops an attempt at a free news story! Funny stuff.
As I have discussed before this is all moot, but at least I’m starting to understand where “news” comes from.
Round and round we go.
10 February 2008, on 11:36 pm
Thanks, Oliver, for the post. Indeed, it does appear that there were similar posts by two different people at about the same time. It can be that both of us are mistaken in the details, but then again, if it is wrongly attributed, I stand corrected - I will have to re-check my sources.
FWIW, I would welcome MS to join the Open Invention Network - http://www.openinventionnetwork.com/ - and put any and all “patents” that MS owns - at least with regards to document formats - to the public commons via the OIN so that open source developers are indeed free to innovate.
Let’s engage across the board with a view to make the whole “software patent” issue a non-issue. We have bigger problems to solve.
11 February 2008, on 12:26 am
Thanks Harish.
At some point we should talk about the OSP, and the similar grants from Sun and IBM. Given that all three of these grant rights directly to anybody who needs them you can think of it like this;
When you’re next on the MRT look at a random individual and consider that fact that that individual personally has been granted any rights that they need to implement, use or do anything else with OpenXML, ODF or any other standard that is covered by such a covenant. In the case of the OSP those rights are granted irrevocably and perpetually, I believe other covenants do the same.
It is hard to work out what else the industry could possibly offer. It is already a non-issue.
11 February 2008, on 9:01 am
What is more amusing is the post by NalabRock on the http://www.noooxml.org/forum/t-39421/the-list-of-microsoft-s-us-software-patents-covering-ooxml
link -
“OPEN Standard means you must use LINUX”
A true libertarian and open source thought leader.
Gareth