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Bigs Quote by Eben Moglen

“As the commercial confrontation between [free software] and software-that's-a-product becomes more fierce, patent law's going to be the terrain on which a big piece of the war's going to be fought. Waterloo is here somewhere.” quote by Eben Moglen
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“As the commercial confrontation between [free software] and software-that's-a-product becomes more fierce, patent law's going to be the terrain on which a big piece of the war's going to be fought. Waterloo is here somewhere.”

Eben Moglen

About This Quote

Source Speech: Open Source Conference, 2005

Patent law will become the main battlefield between free software and proprietary software.

In simple terms: Patents will be the key arena in the software wars.

Key Takeaway

Watch legal developments closely.

Themes

technology law open source competition

Mood

cautious strategic

Type

analytical informative

When to use this quote

  • software development
  • legal counsel
  • policy making
  • startup strategy

Key Concepts

intellectual property business strategy innovation

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can open source thrive under aggressive patent regimes?
  • What alternatives exist to patent battles?
A Different Perspective

Patent enforcement may stifle innovation and favor large corporations.

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