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Slightly off topic, but my experience with lawyers and technology has been mostly discouraging. For example, one lawyer wanted to sue a client of ours for using

Slightly off topic, but my experience with lawyers and technology has been mostly discouraging. For example, one lawyer wanted to sue a client of ours for using an open-source JS dropdown menu that we were also using--he said they stole our code. He was also concerned that we were letting people 'View Source' our web pages and stealing our IP.

skissane 8y ago
Maybe that's the difference between a specialist and a generalist. A lawyer who has experience and expertise working with the software industry is unlikely to make those kinds of silly mistakes. A lawyer who has no software industry experience, who just does general business law, contracts, real estate, wills, etc, who maybe even has some industry-specific experience in other industries like finance or manufacturing or construction, and thinks "software can't be that different"–that is the kind of lawyer who is far more likely to demonstrate that species of ignorance.
linsomniac 8y ago
That reminds me of a hosting client I used to have, which we got a DMCA takedown notice for: "They are using our software without a license." I replied: "They are a local reputable University, have you tried contacting them?" "I wasn't able to get ahold of them." "You weren't able to get ahold of a UNIVERSITY?!?" "Well, I didn't really try. I'm a subcontractor, in another country, and can't afford to make phone calls about it." I had also reached out to our client contact. They contacted the CMS company, provided them with the license information, and then switched to another CMS.
userbinator 8y ago
I think lawyers need to talk amongst themselves more; there are certainly even ones who specialise in open-source. He was also concerned that we were letting people 'View Source' our web pages and stealing our IP. ...and here is where the DRM advocacy comes in. Don't let them ruin the Internet...
elliekelly 8y ago
I couldn't agree more. I've yet to attend a meeting between legal and tech ops that hasn't been traumatizing for just about everyone involved.
ddebernardy 8y ago
You're very lucky if that's all they did. Lawyers sometimes engage into legal pissing contests that can drag on for months on end. There's nothing more infuriating as a sales than two attorneys dragging their feet over legal minutia while literally everyone else (you and your team, your future customer and their team) would like to move forward and get started.

skissane 8y ago

Maybe that's the difference between a specialist and a generalist. A lawyer who has experience and expertise working with the software industry is unlikely to make those kinds of silly mistakes. A lawyer who has no software industry experience, who just does general business law, contracts, real estate, wills, etc, who maybe even has some industry-specific experience in other industries like finance or manufacturing or construction, and thinks "software can't be that different"–that is the kind of lawyer who is far more likely to demonstrate that species of ignorance.

linsomniac 8y ago

That reminds me of a hosting client I used to have, which we got a DMCA takedown notice for: "They are using our software without a license." I replied: "They are a local reputable University, have you tried contacting them?" "I wasn't able to get ahold of them." "You weren't able to get ahold of a UNIVERSITY?!?" "Well, I didn't really try. I'm a subcontractor, in another country, and can't afford to make phone calls about it." I had also reached out to our client contact. They contacted the CMS company, provided them with the license information, and then switched to another CMS.

userbinator 8y ago

I think lawyers need to talk amongst themselves more; there are certainly even ones who specialise in open-source. He was also concerned that we were letting people 'View Source' our web pages and stealing our IP. ...and here is where the DRM advocacy comes in. Don't let them ruin the Internet...

elliekelly 8y ago

I couldn't agree more. I've yet to attend a meeting between legal and tech ops that hasn't been traumatizing for just about everyone involved.

ddebernardy 8y ago

You're very lucky if that's all they did. Lawyers sometimes engage into legal pissing contests that can drag on for months on end. There's nothing more infuriating as a sales than two attorneys dragging their feet over legal minutia while literally everyone else (you and your team, your future customer and their team) would like to move forward and get started.