[Sheflug] Microsoft patent

[Dr A V Le Blanc <nospam [at] mcc.ac.uk>]

I see in the Debian news lists that Microsoft have patented
the idea of updating software over the internet using
a package management system; this appears to conflict with
Debian's dpkg as well as Red Hat's rpm system, so it affects
all Linux distributions except perhaps Slackware.  The patent
request was filed Nov 14 1997, which is after both of these
systems were in use, but it would be a pity if Linux groups
had a legal wrangle with Microsoft at this stage of the game.

     -- Owen
     LeBlanc [at] mcc.ac.uk
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