Swpat Drama as an American Issue

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1838419,00.asp: "As the Apache Software Foundation, Microsoft Corp. and IBM sort out licensing issues around making the WS-Security specification open-source-friendly, the issue becomes something of a precedent for how Web services specifications will evolve in the open-source world."

"The rapid growth of open-source business models and their distinct licensing requirements pose a challenging problem of adaptability for all standards bodies. Apache's conversation with IBM and Microsoft reveals that a lot more creative work needs to be done to harmonize traditional patent policy frameworks with the new business models to protect all parties from legal risk, while allowing for implementation of standards under the open-source development and licensing models."

A complex way to go. An easier way is to rule out software patents!