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Linux for Lawyers, Part 2 |
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Friday, July 08 2005 @ 09:33 PM EDT
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I mentioned to you earlier that I have in my heart the dream to do a Knoppix CD just for lawyers, to show them how GNU/Linux can work for them, and I told you that there were some important missing pieces. Marbux has been busy compiling a list of what would be needed, which we'll share with you when it's done. As I told you, the biggest missing piece is WordPerfect®, because it does things law firms need. Today, I heard the exciting news from Marbux, who noticed it on the dev@wp.openoffice.org list, that OpenOffice 2.0 now can be used to open and read WordPerfect files. You can see the WordPerfect filter listed as a feature on OOo's website. Another new feature is the support of digital signatures, which is something else of interest to lawyers. And OpenOffice.org now supports the same number of rows in spreadsheet documents as Microsoft Excel, so that should solve interoperability issues. "The new version now takes OpenOffice.org to the same level as Microsoft Excel." When I first heard the news about WordPerfect,
I wrote to Daniel Carrera to ask him if it was true, and he replied: Yes :-)Truth in advertising:
- This is 2.0 (betas available), not 1.x.
- This is import only, not export.
For 1.x users we have a command-line program 'wpd2sxw' and a plugin (which apparently is hard to install).
http://wp.openoffice.org/filter.html
http://libwpd.sourceforge.net/
So one missing piece is now only half missing. By the way, if you are a lawyer who is not familiar yet with the command line in GNU/Linux, here's a how to from LinuxCommand.org to get you off the ground. It also explains very nicely why sometimes you need more than just your mouse.
The missing half, then, is that you can't export Word Perfect documents. Of course, lawyers will want or need to be able to write WP documents, too, not just read them. For example, if another law firm sends them a contract in WP, they read it, yes, but they also want to write any changes in the document and send it back. I so hope someone can make that happen.
Here's the OOo page on the project, and here's a bit of the information there: What's been done so far?
A library, libwpd, has been written that maps WordPerfect's stream-based file format to a structured document representation (such as OpenOffice.org's XML file format).
Two WordPerfect import filters for OpenOffice.org have been written on top of this library: a standalone filter (which may be run from the command line) called wpd2sxw and an integrated filter component for OpenOffice.org (using the XFilter framework) called writerfilter. Only writerfilter really has any future: wpd2sxw exists more as a temporary solution for people who have some technical knowledge and have an immediate need to have their WordPerfect files converted (or simply want to aid in the development process). Unfortunately, writerfilter is quite difficult to install and is only recommended for the particularly technically adept and/or adventurous. More information on these projects is available on the libwpd website.
What's next?
The short-term goal is to finish the stand-alone WordPerfect import filter (writerfilter) and create packages so it can be easily installed on Windows, Linux, and Solaris.
Long-term, we want to develop a WordPerfect export filter. And, of course, we want our work to be integrated with the overall OpenOffice.org product. . . .
Participation
For the time being, development of libwpd, wpd2sxw, and writerfilter is being conducted externally on SourceForge. This may change as work there matures and we start considering the possibility of proper integration with OpenOffice.org. For the time being, please direct all technical discussion (bug reports, compilation problems, offers of development assistance, etc.) to the libwpd-devel mailing list. I believe that the more lawyers learn about GNU/Linux and learn to love it, the better they will fight for it, when the time comes. You thought SCO was the only vexatious litigant on planet Earth? I don't think so. Daniel Carrera adds: This would be a great project to contribute to. This library is also used by KOffice and Abiword to open WP files. So, working there benefits everyone. Boy oh boy I wish someone tell the world how great it'd be to contribute to this project... hint hint . He didn't need to twist my arm, because I'd so love to have this. But if any of you feel you'd rather work on it in connection with another project you know about and I don't, that's fine too. I just know being able to read and write WP files would draw law firms to GNU/Linux. The OOo to-do list also includes the need for features like encryption, or signing, for PDFs, something else lawyers want. The libwpd page tells us: "Note that libwpd is not manufactured, approved, or supported by Corel Corporation or Corel Corporation Limited." I have no idea what that means, but I'm sure the project can inform you of any issues. The page also says this: libwpd-based import filters have been written for AbiWord (available in AbiWord CVS) and OpenOffice.org Writer (available for download at this site); libwpd forms the basis of KWord's WordPerfect support starting with KOffice 1.4.
Some stand-alone utilities are also available to demonstrate the use of libwpd. There are the conversion utilities wpd2html, wpd2text(included with the main libwpd distribution), and wpd2sxw (available in a seperate package) which convert WordPerfect Documents to html, text, and ooWriter documents respectively. The OpenPower Project Speaking of projects, I happened to notice a final paragraph in a press release IBM just put out about their new dual-core version of PowerPC 970FX, PowerPC 970MP "targeted for clients who desire a low-cost, high performance, 64-bit, symmetric multiprocessing (SMP)-capable system in a small package with ranges from 1.4 to 2.5 GHz. The microprocessor also provides power-saving features that system architects can use to dynamically control the system power." I gather the last part means you can turn off power when you are just reading Groklaw: The frequency and voltage of both cores can be scaled downward to reduce the power during periods of reduced workload. For further power savings, each core can be independently placed in a power-saving state called doze, while the other core continues operation. Finally, one of the cores can be completely de-powered during periods of less stringent performance requirements. At the end of the release, I noticed something that might interest you: New Initiatives
At the forum in Tokyo, IBM announced an expansion of an open network of IT professionals and developers within the Linux community, called the OpenPower Project. The initiative gives Linux developers and enthusiasts an opportunity to test POWER5(TM) processor-based OpenPower(TM) servers via the Internet. The effort marks the first time that the Linux community has been able to test the impressive performance of OpenPower systems in an open, collaborative online forum.
The OpenPower Project also hosts a comprehensive set of tools and resources for Linux on Power Architecture(TM) technology. The OpenPower Project can be accessed at www.openpowerproject.org.
Here's the technical forum:
http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/forums/dw_forum.jsp?forum=375&cat=5 They also have a page of Linux resources, so you can quickly find information and documentation. That's where I found the link to the command line how-to. Have fun playing! UPDATE:
Sites collecting links to Linux live CD distribution downloads:
Debian Installers
Free Software Magazine - The magic of live CDs
FrozenTech's LiveCD List
Knoppix Customizations - Knoppix
LiveCD - DebianWiki
LiveDistros
LunuxMafia: Knoppix derivatives
LWN Distributions List
Metalist: LinuxMafia, Debian Live CDs
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Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, July 08 2005 @ 09:43 PM EDT |
Do the linky-linky thing:
<a href="http://www.groklaw.net">Groklaw Home Page</a>[ Reply to This | # ]
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Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, July 08 2005 @ 09:44 PM EDT |
PJ is perfect... or is she???? [ Reply to This | # ]
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- Bad link - Authored by: Anonymous on Sunday, July 10 2005 @ 06:31 AM EDT
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Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, July 08 2005 @ 09:45 PM EDT |
Remember to use the title as a record of the change
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--Bill P, not a lawyer. Question the answers, especially if I give some.[ Reply to This | # ]
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Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, July 08 2005 @ 09:47 PM EDT |
Copy the link format from the red text on the reply form.
---
--Bill P, not a lawyer. Question the answers, especially if I give some.[ Reply to This | # ]
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Authored by: darkonc on Friday, July 08 2005 @ 10:01 PM EDT |
A bunch of Italian Lawyers were written up on sourceforge for the work
they've done making OO work for lawyers. It also include a boatload of
links.
--- Powerful, committed communication. Touching the jewel within
each person and bringing it to life.. [ Reply to This | # ]
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Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, July 08 2005 @ 10:04 PM EDT |
"Note that libwpd is not manufactured, approved, or supported by Corel
Corporation or Corel Corporation Limited." I have no idea what that means, but
I'm sure the project can inform you of any issues.
I expect that it's
just a disclaimer that it's not an official Wordperfect
project.
Larry N. [ Reply to This | # ]
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Authored by: xtifr on Friday, July 08 2005 @ 10:14 PM EDT |
"Of course, lawyers will want or need to be able to write WP
documents, too, not just read them. For example, if another law firm sends them
a contract in WP, they read it, yes, but they also want to write any changes in
the document and send it back."
There is another option here.
They could edit it with OOo, and then send it back with a copy of OOo
(or a copy of Linux-for-Lawyers)! Of course, that'll make it a little bigger,
and they'd probably have to send it on CD, rather than by email. But, y'know,
it would work. And would certainly help spread the word about OOo and/or
Linux-for-Lawyers! :)
Ok, it may seem a trifle excessive. But at the
same time, it does very clearly point out another advantage of using Free
Software. You don't actually have to worry if the other guy is using it,
because you can just give him a copy—or twelve—whenever you feel
like it! Try that with WordPerfect, and I think you'll be in big, big trouble!
:)
--- Do not meddle in the affairs of Wizards, for it makes them
soggy and hard to light. [ Reply to This | # ]
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Authored by: m_si_M on Friday, July 08 2005 @ 10:53 PM EDT |
Of course it's fine to have all the features of OO.o available on three
platforms, but for the success of this awesome software, there is another OS
which is much more important than Solaris. It is called MacOS/X. I'm almost sure
that it has to do with the corporate DNA of Sun, which means always think about
large enterprises, but to really succeed in the end user market with
OO.o/StarOffice, a Mac version is a "must".
Currently, Mac users don't
have much of a choice: If they need a full featured office suite, they either
have to buy the crap from Redmond or use OO.o in its X11 incarnation. Most
OS/Xers I know opt for version 1, because they appreciate the close integration
in Apple's GUI
Apple's market share may not be of interest for Sun, but
nevertheless counts millions of users worldwide (how many end users are working
with Solaris?)
Sun, please spend some bucks on real OS/X development of
OO.o. Most of Apple's customers are used to spending lots of money for their
software in case the product deserves it. StarOffice 8 for Mac would almost
certainly help growing your reputation, and I'm sure many Mac users would gladly
buy your product, if it were available. But, always expecting the worst, I
suppose Sun's "peace treaty" with MS precluded the company from releasing
StarOffice for MacOS/X.
P.S.: I know, there's NeoOffice/J, but it's still
buggy as of now. So why don't you invest in a product for a small but valuable
customer base? [ Reply to This | # ]
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Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, July 08 2005 @ 10:59 PM EDT |
I have never tried this since I don't use WordPerfect. However somebody with
access to both WP and Linux could try running WP under Linux using either Wine
or Crossover (a commercial version of Wine) as a compatibility layer.[ Reply to This | # ]
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Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, July 08 2005 @ 10:59 PM EDT |
Serious question. What about WP makes it so good for lawyers? Presumably there
is something about how WP works. Maybe it's the macros? Anyway, the mere
ability to read a file doesn't actually make you want to use OO if it is missing
some important functionality.
Now, if OO could read the files and do the macros ... I'm just guessing here.
Please rescue me.
[ Reply to This | # ]
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Authored by: rm6990 on Friday, July 08 2005 @ 11:14 PM EDT |
I doubt this plugin will be of much use in say 10 years. Corel is going to add
import and export support for the OASIS OpenDocument format.
If lawyers want to use WordPerfect, then I guess they will be locked out of MS
Office. how sad :-P[ Reply to This | # ]
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Authored by: rsteinmetz70112 on Friday, July 08 2005 @ 11:25 PM EDT |
There is an easy to install Wordperfect import filter for Open Office. It is
called WriterPerfect and will not be developed much further because most of the
work is going into OO.org 2.0 Filters.
WriterPerfect on SourceFourge
--- Rsteinmetz - IANAL
therefore my opinions are illegal.
"I could be wrong now, but I don't think so."
Randy Newman - The Title Theme from Monk
[ Reply to This | # ]
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Authored by: rjh on Friday, July 08 2005 @ 11:49 PM EDT |
I find that I can currently open documents created in WordPerfect, edit and save
again as .wpd files. At one point I did the same thing using Abiword, which had
a plugin for WordPerfect documents (I don't know if it still is available).
So what is really missing? It seems that it is only missing in OpenOffice.org,
but not within the total sphere of tools available for the Linux stack.
---
Stop the car! My head just blew out the window!
My comments are released under the Creative Commons license
Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0.[ Reply to This | # ]
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- KWord - Authored by: Anonymous on Saturday, July 09 2005 @ 06:18 PM EDT
- KWord - Authored by: Wol on Saturday, July 09 2005 @ 06:55 PM EDT
- KWord - Authored by: attila_the_pun on Sunday, July 10 2005 @ 02:50 PM EDT
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Authored by: digger53 on Saturday, July 09 2005 @ 12:02 AM EDT |
Seems like the wpd-import support has been arounf for Abiword and OO-writer for
some months now, at least on Debian & some of its derivatives like Mepis.
But the I use a bit of testing and "Sid" stuff. Export capability
would be nice.
I don't know why lawyers like WordPerfect, but for me as a writer, the real
treasure in Word Perfect is the "reveal codes" feature which allows
for very easy and very fine tuned formatting.
---
When all else fails, follow directions.[ Reply to This | # ]
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Authored by: Anonymous on Saturday, July 09 2005 @ 02:15 AM EDT |
There IS a port of WordPerfect 8 for Linux, people! And it works, too!
Remember, Corel was once a Linux supporter and even had their own distro. I
bought a copy of Corel Linux Deluxe from Half Price Books for the included Linux
WP 8.1, installed libraries and a "Filtrix fix" for its import
filters, and it works great! There's a great FAQ about it at
[http://www.tldp.org/FAQ/WordPerfect-Linux-FAQ/]. It's falling behind the times
a little, but I still think in the near term the real thing is probably the best
for WordPerfect-centric law firms. I use it all the time and am generally
satisfied. See the FAQ for more info.[ Reply to This | # ]
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Authored by: Anonymous on Saturday, July 09 2005 @ 04:35 AM EDT |
As usual, the OpenOffice guys fail to mention that libwpd was written by Abiword
(and KWord IIRC) guys, and that OpenOffice just jumped on the bandwagon later
(gracelessly).
In fact, the OpenOffice filters were written by the libwpd developers, not
really by the OpenOffice guys.
So, if you want libwpd's capabilities to read WP files, you can use Abiword, and
could have used it for several versions (probably since version 2.0 of Abiword,
which was at least a year ago...)
I'm just getting tired of declarations how OpenOffice is wonderful, when the
articles mention features that other programs have had (for example, Gnumeric
has had the number of collumns Excel has (or more) for several versions, and is
more statistically acurate...)[ Reply to This | # ]
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Authored by: troll on Saturday, July 09 2005 @ 07:31 AM EDT |
http://www.lyx.org
/quote/
LyX is an
advanced open source document processor running on many Unix platforms. It is
called a "document processor", because unlike standard word processors, LyX
encourages an approach to writing based on the structure of your documents, not
their appearance. LyX lets you concentrate on writing, leaving details of visual
layout to the software. LyX automates formatting according to predefined rule
sets, yielding consistency throughout even the most complex documents. LyX
produces high quality, professional output -- using LaTeX, an open source,
industrial strength typesetting engine, in the background.
/end of
quote/
LaTeX is :
http://www.latex-project.org/
/quot
e/
Introduction
LaTeX is a high-quality typesetting system, with
features designed for the production of technical and scientific documentation.
LaTeX is the de facto standard for the communication and publication of
scientific documents.
/end of quote/
I am quite sure there is some
package for LaTeX that provides features for lawyers. There are packages for
almost any type of publications.
Yours trully ...
[ Reply to This | # ]
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Authored by: Anonymous on Saturday, July 09 2005 @ 08:53 AM EDT |
The new version now takes OpenOffice.org to the same level as Microsoft
Excel
I am a diehard Linux fan, and at home use nothing but free
software. I would like to see more people switch away from MS Windows and MS
Office. But we will not gain long-term friends by lying to people in this
way.
OpenOffice is great software, but it is not yet equal to MS Excel in
functionality. One example is Excel's Solver capability. Essentially it lets you
do optimization. There's nothing equivalent in OpenOffice. OK, the average user
who uses Excel just to add up columns in an expense report doesn't need this.
But the user who does need it, and tries OpenOffice, will feel cheated, and will
learn to despise Linux advocates as either ignorant (at best) or deliberate
liars.
OO.org is getting there, fast. But for the power user, it's not
there yet.
[ Reply to This | # ]
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Authored by: rsteinmetz70112 on Saturday, July 09 2005 @ 12:24 PM EDT |
PJ,
There is an organization called the Association of Legal Administrators. They are
the non-lawyers who generally do all of the non-legal administrative stuff. They
frequently handle IT matters and also personnel, like hiring and training legal
secretaries and para-legals. They are one group which might be targeted to
locate firms currently using Linux and find people who can contribute subject
expertise to developing a tool set for lawyers.
One other area which I
have not seen addressed which seems important to the law firms I work with is
document and case management applications.
--- Rsteinmetz - IANAL
therefore my opinions are illegal.
"I could be wrong now, but I don't think so."
Randy Newman - The Title Theme from Monk
[ Reply to This | # ]
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Authored by: Anonymous on Saturday, July 09 2005 @ 03:16 PM EDT |
I've waited to see if anyone posts about Debian-Lex. Since they haven't, I guess
I will.
http://www.debian.org/devel/debian-lex/
From the site:
"Project description
Debian-Lex is an internal project to develop Debian into an operating system
that is particularly well fit for the requirements for legal offices. The goal
of Debian-Lex is a complete system for all tasks in legal practice which is
built completely on free software. "
The project has been around since April, 2003.
I am certain that the many of the Groklawyers here can make significant
contributions to this.
And remember - Knoppix is Debian-based.[ Reply to This | # ]
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Authored by: DarrenR114 on Saturday, July 09 2005 @ 03:38 PM EDT |
Just to accomodate all those who ignorantly ignore Anonymous posts, I'm
reposting this under my regular account. Personally, I think anyone who ignores
Anonymous posts simply because they're anonymous are the same sort of fools who
felt the Articles of Confederation were good enough.
I've waited to see if anyone posts about Debian-Lex. Since they haven't, I
guess
I will.
http://www.debian.org/devel/debian-lex/
From the site:
"Project description
Debian-Lex is an internal project to develop Debian into an operating system
that is particularly well fit for the requirements for legal offices. The goal
of Debian-Lex is a complete system for all tasks in legal practice which is
built completely on free software. "
The project has been around since April, 2003.
I am certain that the many of the Groklawyers here can make significant
contributions to this.
And remember - Knoppix is Debian-based.
---
No job is too small for dynamite ...[ Reply to This | # ]
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Authored by: einfeldt on Sunday, July 10 2005 @ 02:25 AM EDT |
...I'm pretty happy with both. I don't worry about viruses, and I don't worry
about the constant, draining cost of hardware and software upgrades.
IMHO, lawyers don't use GNU/Linux and OOo more frequently for two main reasons:
1. Other lawyers don't use Linux and OOo (so everyone thinks);
2. Lawyers have immense time pressures. They don't want to learn new computer
programs.
3. They don't understand the power of community in the context of computers and
software.
4. Most lawyer-specific programs are written for Word or WordPerfect.
Lawyers are what Harvard Business Professor refers to as "upper tier
customers," i.e., lawyers are willing to pay a premium (the Microsoft tax)
for the value of easy integration among all programs they need. Please note
that the phrase "upper tier customers" does not always mean the same
thing as "wealthy". Teenagers are currently upper tier customers for
athletic shoes. Many many lawyers make less money than the computer gurus who
contract with them. I know this from personal experience from 12 years as a
lawyer.
IMHO, what makes lawyers "upper tier customers" is their urgent need
for swift, easy integration with mandatory court forms and practice management
software such as Time Matters. Most lawyers also THINK that they need Microsoft
Office to share files with clients and opposing counsel and co-counsel, but
OpenOffice.org will work just fine there, especially with the upcoming version
2.0. I use OpenOffice.org to share files constantly with opposing counsel and
co-counsel, and it works just fine.
My message to other lawyers who might read this email is this: you CAN use open
source software for much of your work. As a lawyer myself, I know that all of
us in the legal field watch our squeaky, tenuous profit margins very closely,
except for those very few firms representing extremely wealthy clients, and even
they sweat and worry about the day when a partner might leave and take a big
account with him / her.
Lawyers can and should encourage their staff to use open source software and
cheap old hardware for basic correspondence, deposition summaries, web browsing,
and basic spreadsheets for paralegal work. It WILL pencil out in the end most
of the time for most lawyers. Trust me. I use open source for about 95% of my
work. All of my briefs, correspondence, and discovery is done with open source
software, except for mandatory California Judicial Council form filings in
California Superior Courts and discovery forms. For that, I still use Windows
98.
You WILL go through a slight learning curve, but the dollar savings will
outweigh the costs over say, a 1.5 year period, depending on your practice.
After that, the saving compound year over year.
Call me, and I'll give you tips on how to migrate.
Christian Einfeldt
415-351-1300
einfel@yahoo.com[ Reply to This | # ]
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Authored by: Anonymous on Sunday, July 10 2005 @ 02:31 AM EDT |
PJ,
Almost no-one proves that implementations of programs match their
specifications.
We know how to do it ... ask at the Computer Science
department of your local University ... but we also know it's exceedingly hard
and time-consuming to do.
So we do 'the best we can', not really much more
than having a few experts put their fingers in the air and say that according to
all the tests they have thought of, it seems to work. And the experts may be not
much better than the amateurs. Or they may be worse. Is 'love' or 'money' a more
successful motivator ?
So if it turns out that the implementation does not
match the specification; surely Microsoft Windows was not specified to catch
fire when fed 'Sasser'; we should not be too surprised.
Now, the lack of
proof applies to everything Microsoft market; everything my employer markets;
all the Playstation 3 games that will run on the 'supercomputer-on-a-chip' next
year; everything Klaus Knopper lets loose under the GPL; Java and OpenOffice.org
as well. And Linux for Lawyers, and the rest of it.
Don't know what a lawyer
would make of it; what it means for the concept of liability, the meaning (if
any) of copyright, and the concept of 'infringing a patent' on something that
you have not proven to conform to any particular specification, and the wisdom
of 'liability' or 'damages' in the case.
But as an engineer, computer
scientist, and mathematician, that's the honest truth. [ Reply to This | # ]
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