[Foundation-l] [Wikitech-l] Google Summer of Code

[Dirk Riehle]

> >What you need is an Eclipse Foundation like setup where large
> >corporations/system integrators make money on complementary services
> >and therefore can afford "altruistic" contributions to a real
> >open-source project like MediaWiki. Well, not only "afford" but 
> "have to". :-)
> >
> >
>As much as I support open source concepts I have to admit that most of
>it remains untested in the courts.  Patents can be a bigger problem than
>copyrights because they cover the ideas rather than just the expression
>of the idea.  The first person to the patent office has an advantage
>even over others who may have had the idea earlier.

That's why you need a proper setup. The Eclipse Foundation, for 
example, requires signing away any claims based on patents used in 
source code contributions before they get accepted. It should be the 
same for MediaWiki and related contributions.

Dirk