Tags: developers, law
News (136)
EU software patent law may halt Linux development: Aussie lawyer
Should the European Commission formalise the Computer Implemented Inventions Directive, it could seriously affect the development of open source software. Read more »
Thousands of AU developers protest US trade pact
Almost 3,000 developers from Australia and abroad have voiced their opposition to the proposed intellectual property clauses in the United States-Australia Free Trade agreement. Read more »
AFP seeks programmers to uphold the rule of SAP
The Australian Federal Police is seeking a provider for advanced developments to its SAP system, and only thoroughly law-abiding programmers need apply. Read more »
EC slipping software patents 'through backdoor'
The European Commission is attempting to legalise software patents through the introduction of the EU Community Patent, according to an anti-patent campaigner. Read more »
Linux Australia honours IP lawyer
Law professor and intellectual property expert Kimberlee Weatherall was honoured with an award for service to the open source community Read more »
Microsoft settles infringement suit
Microsoft and Alacritech have settled a dispute over networking technology the software giant plans to use in future versions of Windows. Read more »
Microsoft sues over Google hire
Opening a new chapter in its rivalry with Google, Microsoft on Tuesday sued the search giant and a former Microsoft executive that Google had tapped to run its China operations. Read more »
Are developers stealing code?
Many software developers regard 'code-borrowing'--reusing existing software in their own work--as an acceptable practice, despite the legal minefield it could create for their employers. Read more »
Future versions of OOXML safe: Microsoft
Microsoft has assured coders that its Open Specification Promise — a pledge it won't sue developers using OOXML — will apply to future versions of the document format. Read more »
Patent fear plagues Aussie developers
Patents are being used as an offensive measure," John MacPhail, a partner at Baker & McKenzie, told attendees at forum on software patents in Sydney on Wednesday. Read more »
Features (59)
Study: Linux developers unfazed by SCO suit
New research indicates that SCO Group's lawsuit over the use of Unix source code in the Linux operating system has not discouraged developers from implementing Linux-oriented software. Read more »
What if? an alternative history of tech
Michael Kanellos imagines a world where Apple licenced the Mac and wrestling is a corporate sport. Read more »
The Patent Trap
Is IBM's recent software patent giveaway a generous gift to the public, or is the corporate giant just getting rid of old junk? David McAmis investigates what's on offer. Read more »
Why the Eurocrats are patently mad
The vote on Tuesday in Brussels to remove all the limits that had been placed on software patents is a sad day for Europe, but it's not too late to change. Read more »
Virtual computing offers real benefits, real challenges
Virtualisation breaks the link between software and hardware; great for managers but not so good for others. Read more »
Developer Spotlight: Richard Stallman
Builder AU recently caught up with RMS to talk about his achievements, the Free Software movement and his concerns with the US-Australian Free Trade Agreement. Read more »
XML development with the magic of the Butterfly IDE
Developing XML applications and performing transformations using XSLT is a complicated process, especially if you are not using proper tools. The Butterfly XML IDE is an open source tool that can greatly improve your XML development efficiency with features such as multiple open documents in tabs, element completion, and the ability to test XSL transformations. Read more »
Are you ready for 64-bit architecture development?
Many chipmakers have announced desktop-ready CPU chips based on 64-bit architecture. Will such desktops lead to a migration to 64-bit architecture development in the coming year? And, more importantly, will you be ready for it? Read more »
Generate development documentation with the inclusion by reference method
One technique for generating software development documentation which deserves more attention is the idea of including documentation by reference. Read more »
Video (2)
Moore's Law: No more
Gordon Moore, "We have another decade, a decade and a half"
At the Intel Developers Forum in San Francisco, Intel co-founder Gordon Moore discusses the end of Moore's Law, which he believes will hit a wall in the next 10 to 15 years. Read more »
Moore's Law to last 40 more years?
At the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco, Intel's Justin Rattner and Michael Garner talk about materials and processes that will be used in the next 40 years to increase chip performance and advance production. Rattner and Garner discuss the future use of CMOS complementary metal oxide semiconductor technology and... Read more »
Blog (13)
5 reasons restricting hacking is not like gun control
-- Let's get it out of the way: Guns don't kill people, people with guns kill people. People with hacking tools can steal your personal data, shut down your system and deface your web site -- but is that any reason to ban them? Read more »
Is the $100 laptop the end for Moore's Law?
-- Here we are, extolling the virtues of laptops such as the pricey Sony Vaio TZ, when for most users the US$100 XO would be just as effective. Read more »
Know when to walk away, know when to run
-- As a software developer, there are certain projects you want to avoid. For me, that is usually the project where the end-users design the entire application -- you know the type I am talking about. Read more »
Do you trust data in the cloud?
-- Cheap hosted storage, app engines, and hosted code libraries. Can you really trust your data, or your client's data in the magical Web 2.0 cloud? Read more »
Quote of the year (so far)
-- Hats off to James Gosling for this corker about developers who insist on using Emacs for their developer needs in the face of better tools. Read more »
GPLv3 would prevent MS/Novell
-- According to the Free Software Foundation's general counsel, Eben Moglen, GPL version 3 would prevent the type of deal made by Microsoft and Novell from happening. Read more »
Samba gets an inside look at Microsoft documentation
-- A complicated third-party arrangement means that the open-source Samba project will be able to make use of proprietary documents describing Microsoft file-sharing software. Read more »
Software piracy rates and the BSAA
-- The annual Business Software Association (BSA) report into global piracy rates of packaged software was released last week. Interestingly enough the BSA claim that Australia's piracy rates have dropped slightly by one percent making 31% of all packaged software pirated. The Australian arm of the BSA, called the Business Software Association of Australia (BSAA) claim the losses through piracy cost Australia $446 million in 2005. Read more »
64 bit me
-- If these 64-bit systems are going to use wrappers and other tricks to maintain compatibility with vendors unwilling to support the platform, is there any point to having it? Read more »
Builder AU's June book giveaway
-- Help out in the Builder AU forums and win a book! Read more »
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In this week's roundup we see that continuous whining can get results, Linux users get 64-bit Flash and Moonlight previews, the latest in the Yahoo/Microsoft relationship and Senator Conroy ducks and weave in Senate Question Time. Read more »
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Sun eye Web developers with Netbeans 6.5
Despite the recent employment axe hitting Sun the company has pushed out a new release of its Netbeans open source IDE with an eye to appeal more to Web developers. Read more »
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BarCamp buzz: Let the hacking continueAttending last weekend's BarCamp in Sydney, it was hard to escape the conclusion that a certain "dot-com bust" flavour had seeped into the kool aid previously being drunk by Australia's web 2.0 and early stage start-up sector. Read more »
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Interplanetary Internet a possibility
2008/11/21 10:32:55
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Conroy ducks, Ballmer evades and Android Fails -- Club Builder
2008/11/20 10:58:20
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Yang's resignation: The talk of Silicon Valley
2008/11/19 16:10:33
What's on?
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Conroy ducks, Ballmer evades and Android Fails -- Club Builder
Club Builder this week takes a long look at Senator Conroy's recent attempt to explain his Great Firewall of Australia, we chase Steve Ballmer over Sydney, and find Google's biggest bug of the year.