Re: TrendMicro goes...

[Nick FitzGerald <nick () virus-l demon co uk>]

ferg to me: 

> > Has Trend ever tried to enforce this patent against (originally UK 
> company?) Integralis (or various of the other companies that have 
> subsequently owned that IP)??
>
> See also:
>
> http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1998_Jan_26/ai_20173448

Ahhh, cool -- thanks...

> p.s. Also, in response to jericho () attrition org message on
> historical AV programs in the late 1980's - early 1990's:
> As Nick (and others) will attest, I was very active in that
> community back then. :-)

I will?

OK -- I will...    8-)

> It bears repeating that this is not about prior art in AV
> scanning, but rather, doing so on a gateway device (e.g. appliance)
> which Trend Micro was the first to do -- hence the patent.

Hmmmm -- seems that may not be the case given the wording of the 
article you linked above...

Sounds like it was easier/better/cheaper for Integralis to bargain out 
of the suit than fight it...

Doesn't make Trend right -- perhaps just better lawyered-up, PLUS, once 
a bad patent has been issued, it is much easier for the owner to wield 
than for an unfairly disadvantaged opponent to fight it off.  That's 
(probably) why Symantec and McAfee folded too...

And that is the real problem with the (US) software patent system -- 
not so much that s/w patents are issued, but that it is far too easy in 
the (US) software patent system for crap patents to be issued, and the 
downstream chilling effect that such bad patent-issuances can have.


Regards,

Nick FitzGerald

_______________________________________________
Fun and Misc security discussion for OT posts.
https://linuxbox.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/funsec
Note: funsec is a public and open mailing list.