[Search-l] Licensing thoughts...

[Seth Finkelstein]

	I believe the issue with e.g. Google co-opting the work would
not so much be in using the code itself. They could easily afford to
re-implement any end-product using their own code framework, and in
fact, might have to do that anyway, to plug it into their server-farm
system.

	Rather, it's a matter of research and development costs, and
beta-testing. If second-tier search engines end up funding a
collaboration and personalization initiative, bearing the cost of all
the wrong turns and failed leads, and then any eventual useful result
is cream-skimmed by Google, those second-tier search engines won't be
happy (again, a counter-argument here is the potential for new work to
favor smaller, more agile companies, not the entrenched player).

	The only way I can think of to handle such an issue is via
algorithm patents, which is a horrible mess of a topic. Not the least
because it's very tough to ask people to work for free, but a
corporation will patent their work and own the patents.

-- 
Seth Finkelstein  Consulting Programmer  http://sethf.com/
Infothought blog - http://sethf.com/infothought/blog/
Interview: http://sethf.com/essays/major/greplaw-interview.php