# Process Mechanics PLLC Article Archive

> Complete Markdown article archive for Process Mechanics PLLC.

## Articles

- [A mixed decision from the US Copyright Office](http://local.processmechanics.com/articles/a-mixed-decision-from-the-us-copyright-office.md): We received the decision today relative to Kristina Kashtanova's case about the comic book Zarya of the Dawn. Kris will keep the copyright registration, but it will be limited to the text and the whole work as a compilation. In one sense this is a success, in that the registration is still valid and
- [The Cryptographic Autonomy License](http://local.processmechanics.com/articles/the-cryptographic-autonomy-license.md): Introducing the Cryptographic Autonomy License, or CAL. The CAL is a new strong network copyleft license especially appropriate for distributed systems.
- [Further Comments on the SSPL](http://local.processmechanics.com/articles/further-comments-on-the-sspl.md): My previous post was discussed on License-Review and was shared on Hacker News, where it engendered some discussion. Some good points were made by various people, which I thought it might be useful to respond to here. First: Community considerations First, I should say that I don't necessarily disag
- [MongoDB's Server Side Public License is likely unenforceable](http://local.processmechanics.com/articles/the-server-side-public-license-is-flawed.md): Update: Afew more thoughts on the SSPL in response to some counterarguments that have been raised. A few days ago, MongoDB, Inc changed the license of its widely-used database software to the "Server Side Public License" or SSPL. They also submitted the SSPL for review by the Open Source Initiative,
- [Reduced patent valuation resulting in securities fraud?](http://local.processmechanics.com/articles/reduced-patent-value-leading-to-securities-fraud.md): If the patent portfolio is a significant part of the value for a company do changes in patent law change company valuations - and can business leaders commit fraud liability by not disclosing those changes?
- [Quick thoughts on TC Heartland](http://local.processmechanics.com/articles/quick-thoughts-on-tc-heartland.md): I just read the transcript of the oral arguments in TC Heartland , and my initial impression is that Kraft—the respondent/one who wants to uphold the current venue interpretation—is starting out in a very difficult situation. Take, for example, this exchange (emphasis added in bold): JUSTICE BREYER:
- [Copyrights and Patents at the Supreme Court](http://local.processmechanics.com/articles/copyrights-and-patents-at-the-supreme-court.md): It is IP month at the Supreme Court this month, with two decisions issued (Star Athletica v. Varsity Brands and SCA Hygiene Prods. v. First Quality Baby Prods.) and two cases being argued (Impression Prods., Inc. v. Lexmark International, Inc. and TC Heartland LLC v. Kraft Foods Group Brands LLC). O
- [Recent news in IP (Week of Mar. 10, 2017)](http://local.processmechanics.com/articles/recent-news-in-ip-week-of-mar-10-2017.md): A few recent articles that have caught my eye: The House Has Passed H.R.720: The Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2017 Source: Benesch's Sixth Circuit and Ohio Class Action-Plus Report This is deep in the weeds if you don't follow civil trial procedure, but this could be a big deal. Any time a lawyer
- [Recent news in IP (Week of Mar. 3, 2017)](http://local.processmechanics.com/articles/recent-news-in-ip-week-of-mar-3-2017.md): A few recent articles that have caught my eye: The importance of balanced patent policy Source: The Hill I recommend this article for some clear thinking about the proper scope of patent enforcement. At issue is a case at the ITC, in which a radiotherapy machine that has been judged to infringe some
- [Recent news in IP (Week of Feb. 27, 2017)](http://local.processmechanics.com/articles/recent-news-in-ip.md): A few recent articles that have caught my eye: Clearing the Underbrush: How to Fight Low Quality Patents Related to Commoditized Technology that Threaten Innovation Source: IPWatchdog I was surprised to see this opinion piece on IPWatchdog, as it takes the stance that there are some parts of the tec
- [The Copyrightability of APIs](http://local.processmechanics.com/articles/the-copyrightability-of-apis.md): Apropos to the current discussions in the Oracle-Google trial, I wrote this in 2007: COPYRIGHT IN HEADER FILES One particularly difficult issue concerns copyright protection of header files. An individual name or symbol in a header file cannot be copyrighted, but the particular selection of symbols
- [This Fall is Our Last, Best Chance for Patent Reform](http://local.processmechanics.com/articles/last-best-chance-patent-reform.md): Congress returns to work next week. We need you to call your representatives in Congress. Ask them to pass meaningful patent reform, but tell them that we also need to keep the ability to challenge bad patents in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Patent reform is needed to reign in patent trolls
- [An incomplete, but useful, model of ethical behavior](http://local.processmechanics.com/articles/an-incomplete-but-useful-model-of-ethical-behavior.md): I have had a number of business conversations recently where the moral concepts of good and evil have been important to the outcome of the conversation. These have been in conversations about ostensibly morality-neutral concepts like programming language selection, the use of patents, and the best b
- [A Model IP and Open Source Contribution Policy](http://local.processmechanics.com/articles/a-model-ip-and-open-source-contribution-policy.md): Many times I come across companies that have open source policies that are just backwards. For many companies, their default legal position is that they don't want anything to do with open source. They don't want their partners working with it, they don't want their suppliers working with it, and th
- [The 2015 Future of Open Source Survey](http://local.processmechanics.com/articles/the-2015-future-of-open-source-survey.md): Black Duck Software and North Bridge Venture Capital just released a the results of their "2015 Future of Open Source" survey. The summary is below. 2015 Future of Open Source Survey Results from North Bridge Amongst the high level of bizspeak, a couple things stood out to me: Slide 8: The big numbe
- [The PSF: Behind the curtain](http://local.processmechanics.com/articles/psf-behind-the-curtain.md): Several months back I put out a call, asking what people would like to learn about the Python Software Foundation in my talk at PyCon. I got a lot of responses, both in email and twitter. My favorite was from David Beazley: I followed this advice and spent time watching a number of Samuel Beckett pl
- [Convenience, open source, and the cloud](http://local.processmechanics.com/articles/convenience-open-source-and-the-cloud.md): Matt Asay wonders whether the superior convenience of cloud-based services may reduce the uptake of open source solutions: Open source risks being devoured by the very cloud to which it gave birth, by @mjasay: Google, Facebook, and the other dominant web companies depend upon open source. Born in th
- [On the Economic Rationality of Voters](http://local.processmechanics.com/articles/the-economic-rationality-of-voters.md): On Economist's View, Mark Thoma asks "Why don't voters penalize politicians for poor economic decisions?" and quotes Paul Krugman: Economics and Elections, by Paul Krugman, Commentary, NY Times: Britain’s economic performance since the financial crisis struck has been startlingly bad. ... Yet as Bri
- [Decisive vs. Inclusive Leadership](http://local.processmechanics.com/articles/decisive-vs-inclusive-leadership.md): I had two situations recently in which my goal was to lead a group of people to arrive at and act on a particular conclusion. Even though I achieved my goal in both situations, I acted with almost opposite strategies to do so. In one case I acted decisively, telling the group what to do, and in the