Autodesk will not assert any patents against MSF users

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Mailing List Discusssion

On the Discuss Mailing List (mailto:discuss@lists.mapserverfoundation.org) Gary Lang from Autodesk stated:

We do not believe there are any patent problems with the MapServer Enterprise code. Now here's a key sentence, that anyone who reads this should feel free to save if it makes them feel better because it's a binding statement:

Autodesk will not assert any of its patents against users of the MapServer Enterprise code contributed by Autodesk.

We have released the code as open source and will not take a second bite at the apple by asserting patent rights against the very same code we've contributed under the LGPL. Of course we would reserve our rights to use our patents in appropriate situations to defend against any patent claims brought against Autodesk or against other users of MapServer Enterprise.

To be clear, by users we mean folks like yourselves.

Gary

Find the full thread in the MapServer Foundation Archives. And just to be sure that we know what we are talking here is the full eml text of Autodesk refraining from asserting patents against MSF users.

Comments

A question was raised on the MSF Discuss list whether Autodesk holds any patents on UMN MapServer code (the original one formerly known as Cheetah).

Gary Lang wrote:

> We noticed that Mitch Kapor calls his foundation the Open Source Application

> Foundation. This or something else lead one of us to suggest "Open Source

> Geospatial Foundation". The domain could be osgeospatial.org.

>

> Then there's always MapTools, which would be good for Google searching for

> this community, but strangely, some people are actually suggesting Google

> Whacking as a naming process (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_whacking).

>

> It seems kind of down to

> Open Source Geospatial Foundation

> CartaCode

> MapTools

Lester Caine wrote:

Gary have we reached an agreement that the new Autodesk project will NOT be called MapServer? Which was the main original objection.

I think items like http://www.mapbender.org/index.php/Autodesk_will_not_assert_any_patents_against_MSF_users

create the impression that Autodesk already have some control over MapServer - which we know is not the case?

So the current discussion is for an umbrella under which we can all shelter?

If that is the case, then Open Source Geospatial Foundation sounds good to me, and I don't think O'Reilly will mind if they sell more books

( http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/network/2005/06/10/osgeospatial.html )

Actually that book covers MOST of the areas Autodesk wants to dovetail with ;)

Lester Caine

L.S.Caine Electronic Services

Treasurer - Firebird Foundation Inc.

later:

Arnulf Christl wrote:

[...]

I did not intend to imply that Autodesk would hold any rights on UMN MapServer code. As far as I can tell this is not the case.

[...]