Patent warnings - good or bad?

[deception]

What's everyone's view on this "splash screen" style patent warnings on some OSS websites? aMsn is one example.

My personal view is that a simple posting on the homepage would suffice. These bright warning pages seem so childish and annoying to me, don't know what everyone else thinks?

[panickedthumb]

Well, they're kinda important. Unfortunately. I hate them, but it keeps them out of even more trouble if someone decides to go after them.

Software patents are one major downlfall of the industry, for us at least.

[ssam]

if you dont like them then write to your govenment.

[XDevHald]

if you dont like them then write to your govenment.

I myself would have to agree with panickedthumb, if anyone does try to go after them, then it could cause some issues.

But, that's a whole other ball park.

[panickedthumb]

if you dont like them then write to your govenment.
Heh. That'll help. I personally don't have the money or the sway that microsoft has, for example. I doubt I'll get what I want, when MS wants the opposite.

I live in the US by the way. There's a patent for everything. There are ALMOST as many patents as there are product liability lawsuits.

[Mike Douglas]

What's everyone's view on this "splash screen" style patent warnings on some OSS websites? aMsn is one example.

My personal view is that a simple posting on the homepage would suffice. These bright warning pages seem so childish and annoying to me, don't know what everyone else thinks?
People ignore banner ads, the idea is to get software patents and how harmful they can be, on people's minds.

[deception]

People ignore banner ads, the idea is to get software patents and how harmful they can be, on people's minds.

What about the amount of people that would think they're at the wrong site? OK it may not happen that often but still...

I fully agree software patenting is something that should be alerted to the public and computing industry, but just don't think this is the correct way to go about it.