[Linux Patents] Microsoft takes on the free world

[Conrad Knauer]

I am so furious at Ballmer & Co. about this; read for example this excerpt
from http://www.itnews.com.au/newsstory.aspx?CIaNID=52069

"The software behemoth didn't identify any individual patents that the
software infringes upon, because that could allow open source developers to
either challenge the patent or change the software to circumvent the
patent."

This is MS starting a new business model of extortion; don't ask questions,
just pay the protection money and nothing bad bill happen to you. I think
that this only applies in the US though.

BTW, see also http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20070513234519615
which lists several "reasons for not worrying" about this.

CK

On 5/14/07, NoOp <glgxg at mfire.com> wrote:
>
> Rather interesting article in Fortune/CNNMoney.com whereby Microsoft is
> claiming that linux & other free software violates 235 of it's patents.
>
> <
> http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2007/05/28/100033867/index.htm
> >
> [http://preview.tinyurl.com/ypuxkg]
> <quote>
> Microsoft takes on the free world
> Microsoft claims that free software like Linux, which runs a big chunk
> of corporate America, violates 235 of its patents. It wants royalties
> from distributors and users. Users like you, maybe. Fortune's Roger
> Parloff reports.
> .
> .
> .
> </quote>
>
> Related blog by the author:
> <
> http://legalpad.blogs.fortune.com/2007/05/13/msft-linux-free-software-infringe-235-of-our-patents/
> >
> [http://preview.tinyurl.com/36v6jr]
>
> <quote>
> Still, 235 is a lot of alleged infringements. "This is not a case of
> some accidental, unknowing infringement," says Microsoft's licensing
> chief, Horacio Gutierrez. "There is an overwhelming number of patents
> being infringed." By comparison, for example, Verizon's (VZ) patent suit
> against Vonage (VG) was based on seven patents, of which just three were
> found to infringe. In the story, Gutierrez, breaks down that figure into
> the following categories:
>
> 1. The Linux kernel allegedly infringes 42 Microsoft patents. (The
> kernel is the deepest layer of the operating system, which interacts
> most directly with the hardware.)
>
> 2. The Linux user interfaces allegedly infringe 65 patents. (The user
> interfaces are the way design elements, like menus and toolbars, are set
> up to promote easy and intuitive use.)
>
> 3. The Open Office programs allegedly infringe 45 patents. (This a suite
> of free software programs analogous to Microsoft's Office, including,
> for instance, word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software,
> which perform functions like Microsoft's Word, Excel and PowerPoint
> products.)
>
> 4. Free email programs allegedly infringe 15 patents.
>
> 5. Other assorted free software programs that are frequently included in
> Linux distributions allegedly violate another 68 patents.
> </quote>
>
>
> --
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