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* Posts by Ben 25

3 publicly visible posts • joined 21 May 2010

Oracle v Google could clear way for copyright on languages, APIs

Ben 25
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Re: "Intellectual property exists to encourage innovation"

"I'm currently working on some language learning software, but I can't [patent] my ideas"

Sure you can: patent a method of learning a language. That it can be implemented in software should be incidental. If the method cannot stand on its own merits then so-be-it.

"It encourages ground-up innovation [...] but in some ways it does discourage *incremental* innovation"

Don't flatter yourself. It's *all* incremental innovation (you've just not performed a patent search yet).

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Google copyright purge leaves Android developers exposed

Ben 25
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FUD

Pure FUD (however unintentional). Let's establish some facts:

1. Linus has stated that user-space code is not considered a "derivative work" of the kernel.

2. The rationale behind Bionic providing "clean" kernel headers makes no mention of the GPL.

3. The "clean" kernel headers are derivative works and must be re-licensed under the GPL.

4. The GPL does not force source code reveals.

Bionic simply needs to stop re-distributing the kernel headers with the package and use the kernel headers from the Linux source. Problem sorted, nothing to see here.

[1.] http://kerneltrap.org/node/1735

[2.] http://android.git.kernel.org/?p=platform/bionic.git;a=blob_plain;f=libc/kernel/README.TXT;hb=froyo-release

[3.] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derivative_work

[4.] The choices are: Comply; Re-licence; or cease distribution of GPL portions.

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Seagate to announce SSD-threatening hybrid drive

Ben 25
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RE: Huh?

The integrated SSD doesn't optimise writes - it optimises reads.

Frequently read sectors are transparently mirrored on the SSD. Result: frequent 'random read' patterns (such as system/application starts) are cached on the SSD.

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