"...Eben mentioned that there was a moral duty for the “last lawyer in town” to take someone on as a client so that person will be able to receive some legal help. This seems to normally apply in cases of unpopular clients or with people who can’t afford to hire a lawyer.

This is very odd. Remember at the last bankruptcy hearing on June 15 SCO represented that there were several different possible purchasers SCO was considering? Both SCO CEO Darl McBride and Frank Caplan, a lawyer for Berger Singerman, testified about that. Caplan mentioned at least four deals.

If I had to describe the fairly universal geek reaction to the oral argument at the US Supreme Court on Monday in In Re Bilski, I would have to say it's a worry that some of the participants didn't seem to understand computers or the tech behind software very well.

Well, here we go. The new judge in the redo of SCO v. Novell has issued his decision on the two Novell summary judgment motions, and I've only skimmed them, but it looks like if it's Novell, he says mostly no and if it favors SCO he says yes, which is what I expected. That means the hearing set for February 4 has been cancelled. No oral argument. Weird.

A federal judge's ruling Friday may help proponents of Linux open-source software sidestep a significant legal threat.

In a country where the legal system is based on precedents, a judge's recent decision just may make the use of Linux a whole lot easier.

Hall agreed to serve pro bono publico (at no charge, for the public benefit), and asked the court for a declaratory judgment that the patent was unenforceable. Katzer responded by bringing a SLAPP suit against Jacobsen. SLAPP is a law that was meant to defend little folks sued by big rich companies, but is increasingly used in just the other direction.

Internet users would have their connections terminated summarily on the whim of the film and TV industry should it win its landmark legal battle against iiNet, legal experts have warned.

Just a few years ago, getting complex legal assistance from a lawyer you never met in person would have been unthinkable. Today, however, many people carry on relationships online; why not conduct business with your lawyer online as well? One Italian firm already works this way, using open source software as much as it can.