Re: GPL 3 and patents question

[Graham Murray]

Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de> writes:

> No:  This was even covered in GPL2:
>
>   8. If the distribution and/or use of the Program is restricted in
> certain countries either by patents or by copyrighted interfaces, the
> original copyright holder who places the Program under this License
> may add an explicit geographical distribution limitation excluding
> those countries, so that distribution is permitted only in or among
> countries not thus excluded.  In such case, this License incorporates
> the limitation as if written in the body of this License.

But the problem with the situation wrt the OP is that in his country
there are no software patents, and he does not know if the work he
produces and licenses under GPL would violate any patents in any other
country. All he knows is that his writing and using the code does not
violate any patents which apply to him (as his country has no software
patents). So how is he supposed to put a geographical restriction on
distribution without the knowledge of the patent status in *every*
other country?