LWN.com publishes a security update for Zope.

By Tony Granata
News Editor
A heated debate is coming to a head across the pond concerning the future of software patents. Currently, software patents without industrial application are prohibited in Europe under the laws of the Munich Convention.However, due to several factors, including the boom of the software industry and confusion of the European Patent Office about applying
the current law, this policy will be revisited in the coming months. Many fear that the European Union will change its current position on
software patents.

While the opposing forces, Internet patent experts and the
European
Patent Office (EPO) versus the Open Source Community, agree that clarification on software patent law in Europe is necessary, they
differ about the best way to approach these changes. Internet patent experts and the EPO say the Munich Convention should be revised and most exceptions to software patents removed. This could give them free reign to determine what is patentable, potentially opening the floodgates on broad software patenting, much as in the United States.

Open Source advocates say the Munich Convention laws should remain as written and vehemently enforced. This would limit the EPO’s judicial powers on what is deemed patentable, resulting in tighter
control and more restrictions on patenting of what critics say are trivial software processes with no industrial application.

Internet patent experts at patent offices, law offices, multinational companies, and the EPO have received strong support in their lobbying efforts from the U.S. government through the Word Industrial Property Organization. They argue that although European law prohibits software patents, the European Patent Office has already granted, by circumventing the law, more than 10,000 patents on software programs.

They also argue that:

The success of Microsoft is a ringing endorsement that software patents are good for the software industry;

No economic study has determined that software patents are detrimental to innovation and competition;

The United States and most recently Japan have endorsed broad software patents, therefore so should Europe.

The EPO’s “Basic Proposal For The Revision Of The European Patent
Convention” released March 24, 2000, is available online.

The Open Source community lobbying against software patents in Europe
has formed The EuroLinux Alliance, a coalition of commercial companies and non-profit associations dedicated to promoting Open Source
standards within the software industry. Group members fear that broad software patents will result in damaging effects on software innovation and competition, and that broad software patents will be used to patent Internet, business and educational methods. Opponents of the proposed change point to the recent track record of the European Patent Office using its power to broaden the scope of patentability as a reason the current law
must be enforced, not revised.

Jurgen Siepman, legal adviser for a European Linux group, says, “Under the pressure of patent professionals, the European Patent Office invented its own rules in order to grant more than 10,000 software-related patents, more than 75% of which were filed by non-European companies.”

As of July, one month after it started circulating, the EuroLinux Petition for a Software Patent Free Europe had been signed by 20,000 Europeans, including 300 corporate executives, 50 companies and more than 20 non-profit associations.

Reason for patents

Patents were first formalized in England in the 1623 “statute of monopolies.” By allowing inventors to publish and monopolize their ideas, instead of keeping them as guarded secrets, industry wide innovations could be shared, improved and expanded upon. But Open Source advocates argue that broad interpretation and clever formulation of patent application by large corporations has allowed for the patenting of Internet methods, education methods and other elementary software processes. Klaus Weidner of Munich, an anti-patent advocate, says: “Patents are supposed to promote invention and progress, but software patents would have the opposite effect. Interoperability between programs requires either open standards or reverse-engineering of protocols or file formats.”

Hand and hand with the problem of what patents are being granted is the current patent review process, opponents of patent expansion say. Many anti-patent advocates such as Greg Aharonian believe that up to 90% of all software patents granted by the United States Patent Office could be debunked. “In short, no patent office around the world has really ever mastered the process of large scale patent examination,” he says. His article “Patent Examination System is Intellectually Corrupt” is available.

What’s next

A patent directive by the European
Commission is scheduled to be released this summer, and it’s likely to be discussed for several months before it can be approved by the European Council of Ministers. Then it will be translated into national laws. An intergovernmental conference revise the Munich Convention is scheduled for November 2000. Once the Munich Convention is revised, the directive will likely be approved after December 2000.

Linuxlookup reviews the just-completed LinuxWorld Expo in San Jose. Linux Journal also weighs in.

Hispanic America’s most popular Linux news site, LinuxPreview.org, has joined forces with LinuxAlianza.com, the business-oriented multi-site for Linux in Latin America. Linux Preview has traditionally covered science, technology, and general Linux news while Linux Alliance is uniquely focused on promoting Linux businesses in Latin America,
reports LinuxNews.com

LinuxWorld this week saw the convening of bitter Unix competitors, such as Sun Microsystems, IBM, Hewlett-Packard and Compaq Computer around a common user interface, Gnome or Gnu Network Object Modeling Environment. Now the same vendors are united in supporting the Open Source Development Network, reports Inter@ctive Week. (Full disclosure: NewsForge is a member of OSDN.)

From an eWeek story: The new interim president and CEO of Corel Corp. confirmed he is a candidate for the permanent, full-time post.
“It’s up to the board,” acknowledged Derek Burney. “I’m ignoring the ‘interim’ title.” A board committee has been appointed to conduct a search for a permanent CEO with existing officers to be considered as candidates.

Matrox has released DualHead drivers for XFree4.0 – Press Release BelowFor Immediate Release

Montreal, Canada, August 18, 2000—Matrox Graphics Inc.
today announced it is the first graphics card
manufacturer to support single-slot DualHead cards on
the Linux operating system. The beta Linux XFree86
driver is now available for download from the Matrox
website at
http://www.matrox.com/mga/drivers/latest_drivers/home.htm

This beta driver supports three DualHead operational
modes¾Multi-Display, Clone and TV-Output¾ and up to
eight display configurations on the Matrox Millennium
G400 series. Designed with a unified approach, the
Linux XFree86 driver also provides DualHead support
for the Marvel1 product line, along with 2D/3D support
for the G200 product series and 2D support for the
G200 MMS. Additionally, this driver supports flat
panel output on products which enable this feature.

Matrox’s unique DualHead Display technology is a
cost-effective solution that significantly enhances
productivity. For example, its flexible features allow
users to run two or more applications simultaneously
on separate displays, or stretch one application
across two screens. A single-slot DualHead adapter
also offers other advantages, such as freeing up
expansion slots for additional add-ons and avoiding
driver conflicts that can occur when using two
separate cards to support DualHead Display.

The release of this Linux driver further demonstrates
Matrox’s dedication to the open-source community.
Milestones marking Matrox’s commitment to the Linux
community include the release of the specs for the
original Matrox Millennium graphics card in the fall
of 1997, followed by the release of 2D specs for the
G200 and G400 in 1998 and 1999 respectively.

To read the full history on Matrox’s involvement with
the Linux community, check out the backgrounder at
http://www.matrox.com/mga/press_room/lat_press_rel/linux_backgrounder.htm

About Matrox

Matrox Graphics Inc. is the only graphics chip
designer and graphics card manufacturer who draws on
24 years of industry experience to provide customers
with state-of-the-art 2D, 3D and digital video
acceleration, vibrant image quality and real-world
functionality. A quality and innovation leader, Matrox
has been recognized with an unprecedented 900
international awards for the Millennium, Marvel,
Productiva and Mystique product lines. Headquartered
in Montreal, Canada, Matrox is a privately held
company with international offices in the United
States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and
Hong Kong. Information about Matrox products, drivers,
technical support and more can be found at www.matrox.com.

Matrox Graphics Inc. and Matrox are registered
trademarks or trademarks of Matrox Graphics Inc.
and/or Matrox Electronic Systems Ltd. Other company,
product and service names and/or logos indicated above
may be trademarks or service marks of such other
companies.

For more information:

Sebastian Macdougall, public relations specialist,
(514) 822-6000 x7662, smacdoug@matrox.com

Darlene Gillis, public relations specialist, (514)
822-6000 x7217, dgillis@matrox.com

Online Press Room:
http://www.matrox.com/mga/press_room/home.htm

Linux Today reports, that The Apache Group is pleased to announce the release of the sixth public alpha release of Apache 2.0.

Looking for an open source license that isn’t overly political but gives you the means to license your software in the community? Then check out this article at LinuxProgramming.

Newly appointed Linux League Commissioner and weekly
RadioWallStreet.com contributor, Francis Gaskins, will host a panel of guests to review Linux trends, reports Business Wire.