(...)
In a development list, legal issues are important when we consider what is in and what is out a distribution. They're also important when we have to ponder things that are in but may be out in next distros... Just imagine that you develop tools using/for a programming environment that is present from the beggining of a distro and, at some point, it ceases to be distributed/supported despite the fact that the "new" license still grants the users the right of downloading and using it for non-profit purposes...Legal issues generally will waggle themselves into any discussion, but the thing is to keep them focused. So there is good and bad in the discussion, I just don't see the antagonism thing (my spelling is atrocious). The hostility and respect for whoever responds on the list. Tolerance is a virtue.
I don't know US legal system and I don't know about US pattent and copyright laws, so you can blame me for not being american and not understanding US laws but the fact stands: what can be done to ensure developers that they won't have surprises in future...
Regarding to software patents, in my point of view they are as absurd as pattenting the name of Cupuaçú... But this is not the place for discussing this.
Regards,
Casimiro
