Emily Lynema <[log in to unmask]>
> how are open source projects in the
> library community dancing around technologies that may have been patented
> by vendors?

There's a parallel question: how are for-profit companies addressing the multiple violations of FLOSS licenses inherent in contemporary code? There's probably GPL code in most for-profit software products these days, used in ways that violate the licenses. (There's probably other FLOSS licenses used in license-violating ways all over the place as well, but GPL is one of the most restrictive and is very common.)

Overly broad patents are a problem with the system. Violations of the GPL are simply a ubiquitous problem involving a not-so-problematic license.

We really are in a big dance of mutually assured destruction, as Mike said.

-Deborah