blackboard, patents, open source and more silliness

In the latest chapter of the drama unfolding after Blackboard patented learning technologies, breathing and the latin alphabet, our American friends has issued a new statement pledging not to sue open source software.

Why? Because some of the strong forces behind open source learning technologies are big educational institutions and customers of Blackboard. I imagine they have received an amount of flack on this issue not seen alike since The SCO group sued a group of linux vendors.

And here's another funny thing about the pledge; feel free to earn money on supporting, hosting, training, maintaining or developing open source solutions. Just make sure it's not propreitay, OK? So commercial vendors built around a business model of open source is good but if you propreitary they will sue you. Silly.

Oh, and the plea also goes for "Home Grown Systems", meaning software developed by educational institutions themselves. Cool, they even invented a new word to make sure that their customers get it; We will not bite the hand that feeds us.