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Linux users owe Microsoft

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bluesdog
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Linux users owe Microsoft

#1 Post by bluesdog »

Computerworld
In comments confirming the open-source community's suspicions, Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer today declared his belief that the Linux operating system infringes on Microsoft's intellectual property.
To which I say: Can I please have some of whatever he's smoking :?: :!:
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inconnu
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#2 Post by inconnu »

This sort of FUD was bound to result from the MS-Novell pact. Embrace, extend, extinguish.

I'm surprised at how blatant it is, though! I'm not the only one to be reminded of the Monty Python racketeering skit. "Nice little OS you've got there ... be a shame if something happened to it." I hope no other distros fall for this: it's FUD and extortion, imo.

I've been following Pamela Jones' analysis of it, over at Groklaw.
Debian GNU/Linux 3.1

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#3 Post by Lavene »

It's true. As a GNU/ Linux user I truly feel that I owe Microsoft. Not money though, but a big 'Thank You!'. Because, if they hadn't made such a crappy OS I would never have discovered Linux :)

But seriously, this is just Ballmer shooting from the hip again. He can't even say what part(s) of Linux he thinks infringes MS ip. He is just assuming that such a complex system *must* have something in common with Windows and of course Microsoft in that case was the 'inventor'.

He is still on cloud nine after the Novell deal and seem to believe that the entire FOSS community will follow suit...

Tina

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#4 Post by Grifter »

brilliant, bloody plods at suse legal who didn't see this one coming
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines...

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#5 Post by Lavene »

Grifter wrote:brilliant, bloody plods at suse legal who didn't see this one coming
Oh they saw it, they just didn't care. They made a nice chunk of money...
And if MS starts suing left and right in an attempt to force the MS tax on Linux they still will not care, because they made their chunk of money.

Tina

sargek
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#6 Post by sargek »

Lavene wrote:It's true. As a GNU/ Linux user I truly feel that I owe Microsoft. Not money though, but a big 'Thank You!'. Because, if they hadn't made such a crappy OS I would never have discovered Linux :)
Couldn't have said it better myself! Yes, Microsoft is truly an evil, money-hungry company. I hope that steaming pile (Vista) they have created will be their undoing.

thamarok

#7 Post by thamarok »

As long as there's linux, I'll live on :D
This might be a little off-topic, but I have read somewhere that Microsoft has teamed up with Red Hat..

Oh, but that's just Red Hat, I'm using Debian Hat Linux :P

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#8 Post by sleepyEDB »

Lavene wrote:Oh they saw it, they just didn't care. They made a nice chunk of money...
Then: 30 pieces of silver

Now: $345 million dollars

:evil:


sleepy
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#9 Post by Lavene »

Novell seem to have gone into full damage controll mode writing one 'open letter' after the other. In the latest letter they say:
We disagree with the recent statements made by Microsoft on the topic of Linux and patents. Importantly, our agreement with Microsoft is in no way an acknowledgment that Linux infringes upon any Microsoft intellectual property. When we entered the patent cooperation agreement with Microsoft, Novell did not agree or admit that Linux or any other Novell offering violates Microsoft patents.
Makes you wonder; what the heck *did* they think they agreed to?

Tina

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#10 Post by sleepyEDB »

Lavene wrote:Novell seem to have gone into full damage controll mode writing one 'open letter' after the other.
Sorry Novell, too little too late. Deals with the devil aren't signed in pencil.


sleepy
"The road of life is rocky, and you may stumble too. While you point your finger, someone else is judging you." --Bob Marley

jjmac
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Patents & Precedent

#11 Post by jjmac »

Microsoft made quite clear their longer term strategy with the leaking of the 'Halloween' memos. And they confirmed their common methodology with their funding of SCO during their attempt to claim protocol ownerships. MS like to work from the back, in that, if a particular strategy should fail, then they don't suffer any direct consequence.

The trawling for smaller companies that possess innovative technologies, but are financially vulnerable, and then acquiring them, has long been one of their prime methods.

The Novell deal follows this pattern. Except that they are curiously stepping forward directly.

Notice ... the deal to restrain from exercising , what they consider their legitament patent claims, for a limited time period ... only pertains to Novell.

But they refer to it as a benevolence to open source and Linux ! Which it isn't ... as Novell is neither. They merely utilise open source and Linux. Certainly not Free Open Source and GNU/Linux !

They mix the terms !,

The way terminology is commonly used can have a very real legal implication. Which is what i suspect their strategy here involves.

Attempting to influence what the perceived definition(s) of each are. So as to support a furtue litigation with regard to patent infrigments. There trying to lay down some ground work in preparation for a more aggressive push. Possibly starting after the agreement time period with Novell ends ... around 6 years i think.

Things like this, if there is little consequence in the short term, it can become backgrounded. People will tend to forget about it. Or even just see it as corporate foolishness.

They are not fools ! and they do know exactly what their doing. But like all large plans ... there is always someone who can't keep their mouth shut, and will spill some hint or the other.

In this case it's Ballmer, tripping over his incredibly inflated ego, providing some insight.


Does GNU/Linux and Open Source really need the whole world to run Linux desktops, at any cost. With the dumbing down of a fine system, just to attract people who, frankly, don't really care about GNU/Linux anyway, as a consequence. Where did that idea come from ? ... the constant taunting on how hard it is ?. I think the community have been the bunnies to a large degree in this respect. FUD really is effective after all :). It's already worked on us.


Open Source and GNU/Linux have been doing quite well really, without this idea thats cropped up, that big business _has_ to involve it self in such a way, that their thought of as the only ones able to take Linux to the next step. Like ... we really need them and all ...

What step is that any way !.... hmmmmmmmm.


jm

Yes, i do know what the time is, by the way. I wrote it down yesterday.

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#12 Post by bluesdog »

Eat this, Ballmer :twisted:
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#13 Post by Lavene »

There is one essential thing that Ballmer just don't get and that is the Linux community. He seem to believe that it's just like the MS user community, that we just sit quietly in the corner waiting for a bigger entity to shower us with great software. He seem to firmly believe that we are drooling over all the great Microsoft 'innovations' and just cant wait to legally sink our teeth into their patented crap.

I think that both MS and Novell has seriously underestimated the GNU/ Linux community. It might be the end of Novell but I really don't think it will cause so much as a dent in the Linux community as a whole. If it should happen that MS indeed get a valid case against Linux it would be just be a matter of hours before someone changed it. That's the nature of the geek...

Tina

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#14 Post by bluesdog »

This video may help explain a few things...
:wink:

Apologies to those who have already seen it.

(warning: may be disturbing to sensitive viewers) :shock:
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#15 Post by Grifter »

monkey boy ballmer
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#16 Post by Lavene »

I'm starting to find this simply hilarious. It's only a few days since they sign this 'agreement' and they are already slugging it out in public... jeez.

Here and here is chapter two :)

Tina

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#17 Post by bluesdog »

And Microsoft's assertions might be even backfire. "There were some applications I had been thinking about moving to a Microsoft platform, but this has now totally alienated me from Microsoft," Strasnick said.
Oh, I LOVE this!

I really DO owe Microsoft! Especially Mr. Ballmer! -- A great big 'Thank you', for giving me a laugh :lol:
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#18 Post by PingFloyd »

At least Linux doesn't have anything to hide. The source is out in the open for all to see. This to me sounds like Microsoft's usual behavior of throwing stones while living in a glass house. If anyone/anything is most likely guilty of infringement of intellectual property, it would have to be Microsoft and Windows. In their case, there is no source code available for anyone to scrutinize outside of MS. If the world could see all of it, I wonder just what would be found.

Like sort of mentioned, it's typical Microsoft FUD rehtoric.

I wonder if it's them being paranoid, or they're trying to be controlling. The usual assumption with MS is the latter, but sometimes I'm not completely sure, and I definitely wouldn't discount it either. But sometimes I wonder if it may be more of an issue that MS tends to have a bit of the forest through the trees syndrome going on. I do think they have goals to want to build the best software that they can (by their standards and values), but I think they tend to get a little blind sided and lose sight of the big picture alot. They of course want to profit off of such software as well. It's just that some of the reading I've done, about how their company is organized and managed, it leads me to believe that they have the goal of trying to be the best at software, but that the way they have their company structured, it tends to create a vaccuum where everyone that is a part of MS gets really out of touch with reality. So a part of me tends to believe that alot of their stupidity and mistakes, are more likely the result of that.

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#19 Post by sargek »

It's funny - at first this whole agreement between m$ and Novell made me worried, but when I really think about it, we have nothing to worry about. The entire FOSS, Opensource community is a HUGE jugernaut, moving forward, creating innovation, and adapting to adversity, all while doing so in a friendly, completely open way. Our way of doing business is completely unfathomable to m$ because they are in the business of making money, period. We do what we do for the common good, nothing more. I love belonging and contributing to this community 8)

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#20 Post by Bulkley »

When I send documents, which I create using open-source, I get all these complaints from Microsoft users. I can read their stuff, they can't read mine. I have to do these stupid conversions so that they can read it. So, what's Balmer accusing us of? Stealing crap code? Hahahahahahahahaha :lol:

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