Ballmer Won't Dismiss Idea of Suits Against Linux 644
An anonymous reader writes "According to an interview with Steve Ballmer in Forbes, Microsoft is open to the possibility of filing patent suits against Linux in the interest of their shareholders. Ballmer said: 'Well, I think there are experts who claim Linux violates our intellectual property. I'm not going to comment. But to the degree that that's the case, of course we owe it to our shareholders to have a strategy.' Microsoft filed more than 3000 new applications for software patents in 2005 and already owns more than 4000 patents, including many patents on fundamental, but trivial technologies, like double clicks."
More FUD from MS (Score:5, Insightful)
Daniel Lyons has been suspected of being a SCOX puppet for Microsoft for quite some time now. And people have been suspecting that Microsoft has been funding this sort of talk in the SCOG - IBM case as well. Can't wait for the discussion on Groklaw
Re:More FUD from MS (Score:2, Insightful)
The only really compelling reason not to is that if somehow it wasn't in their interest. For example, Novell may have patents that
Re:More FUD from MS (Score:5, Insightful)
FUD=Fear Uncertainty Doubt
They are trying to slow the adoption of Linux in the corporate world by introducing fear of lawsuits and thus risk. Risk, in the corporation (as anywhere else) is undesirable and therefore avoided. By definition, this is FUD. They are abusing their dominate market position (again) to slow adoption of other systems (Linux) in order to compensate for problems the company is currently dealing with.
In my opinion, they should have been broken up years ago.
Re:More FUD from MS (Score:5, Interesting)
If there is infringement, regardless of MS's motives, they are justified in taking action to protect their patent rights.
Do you think Linux gets a free pass under the law, just because the developers are trying to do something nice?
Re:More FUD from MS (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:More FUD from MS (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:More FUD from MS (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:More FUD from MS (Score:4, Insightful)
Admittedly, they differ in extent, but they do not differ in kind.
Re:More FUD from MS (Score:3, Interesting)
Infact you broke patent laws just by replying to this post. Probably a half a dozen.
You can not and I mean can not ever develop a software product that does not infringe on some patent.
Do you think Microsoft Windows is infringement free? I think not.
If Linux developers follow patent laws it would not be an operating sytem or even usable.
Its a serious problem.
Re:More FUD from MS (Score:5, Insightful)
It's not that Linux developers are above and beyond the law. By all means, if something like this has been done - point it out. But first know that it has, indeed, happened... and be willing to back the claim.
The "FUD" comes from the wink-wink-nudge-nudge nature of the statement. Note that Ballmer does not confirm nor deny. But he does attribute all manner of dire consequences to these claims. Assuming they're correct. But you can't tell - you don't even know who the "experts" are... much less what the claims are. It's classic FUD.
A more appropriate way of handling this question would be either "we are investigating these claims", "we are not aware of any such case at this point", etc. These are not FUD statements. However, I understand that Ballmer just isn't that kind of guy. A spade being a spade and all that.
Re:What backward compatiblity is necessary? (Score:3, Insightful)
Those pesky customers, who want to do things like run their old games with decent performance.
Astounding as it might seem to you, Microsoft actually *are* interested in keeping their customers happy and have a long history of going out of their way to do so.
Re:More FUD from MS (Score:5, Interesting)
Possibly. But they might also be reasonably worried about the result of an actual court case. It's entirely possible that if they were to sue over linux permitting such things as double clicks or nested scrolling (which they also have a patent on), the courts just might laugh and throw out the patents.
Like atomic weapons, patents such as these are primarily useful as threats and PR tools. Actually using them in a legal action could easily end their usefulness.
Re:More FUD from MS (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:More FUD from MS (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:More FUD from MS (Score:5, Insightful)
The point of a FUD attack is to scare off customers (or investors, or partners, etc.) by hinting that their is a problem with the competition but without giving enough information about the hinted event for the listener to determine that the hinted-at problem exists.
In this case they're hinting that there is misappropriated technology from some unspecified items from their large patent portfolio in Linux and that at some point in the indefinite future they'll come down on Linux vendors and pull the rug out from under their customers. Yet they don't say when, don't specify what patents, don't specify which Linux components, and so on.
It's a vague threat. It can't be falsified (i.e. potential Linux adopters can't effectively determine whether there are actual violations or if Balmer is speculating through his hat). It would tend to scare away customers, partners, adopters, contributors, etc. Any claim of wrongdoing can be deflected by pointing out that the ACTUAL STATEMENT is just a truism of business policy, not a deliberate attack on Linux and its community.
If it really is just a truism of business, it would not be newsworthy. If Microsoft is actually gearing up for a patent fight it would be very newsworthy. Yet it makes headlines, without announcing the launch of an attack, or anything but the non-newsworthy truism.
So IMNO the fact that he made the statement at all meets the above definition of a FUD attack.
Re:More FUD from MS (Score:3, Interesting)
So IMNO the fact that he made the statement at all meets the above definition of a FUD attack.
Uhhh, actually, the interviewer brought it up and Ballmer avoided the question without limiting his options by committing to a course of action. "No, we aren't suing anyone (but that doesn't mean we can't.)"
From what I read of their behavior, it seems to be an unwritten policy of theirs to only file defensive patents.
Re:More FUD from MS (Score:3, Informative)
If there was any common sense when it comes to patents no one would be able to patent something as trivial and global as a "double-click"... or something they didn't invent for that matter.
Remember: MS sued Borland over having drop-down menus in their applications... and won.
Xerox innovated (to use an MS BS term) the drop-down menu. Hell, VisiCalc16 for the Apple IIe had drop-down menus in it.
Obviously any company should be able to protect their IP... but the
Re:More FUD from MS (Score:2)
Keep in mind ... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:More FUD from MS (Score:3, Informative)
This is related to why I like the way GNU handles their official projects: you assign copyright to the FSF when you contribute to GNU projects. This means that the buck stops with them. They own the copyright, and they are doing the distributing. If MS wants to sue them, my guess is that RMS (or another FSF rep) will go to bat and either the patent will get nullified (dunno the correct termi
Bye bye Microsoft. (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:The F word (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:The F word (Score:5, Insightful)
Do you know what FUD is? (Score:5, Informative)
The article isn't misguided, Balmer is. Precisely because he is spreading fear, uncertainty, and doubt rather than, say, useful information about the merits of his product and how it has better features than Linux. Therefore, claiming that Balmer is spreading FUD doesn't distract from pointing out why he is wrong, it IS why he is wrong.
I'm now thinking that perhaps you didn't know what the acronym stood for and took it as some kind of insult. It's the only way to explain your lack of comprehension as to why the term is accurate. That or you are some kind of Microsoft sock puppet who is deliberately spreading FUD about FUD.
Re:Do you know what FUD is? (Score:3, Insightful)
Microsoft has to slow down the Linux competition now that their OS is delayed, it's just damage control. By forcing their
Re:Do you know what FUD is? (Score:3, Informative)
Why? Ballmer didn't put any effort into his scaremongering, why should anybody go to the effort of refuting it?
Seriously, it bugs me when somebody throws out some baseless assertion, and then says "prove me wrong." Ballmer, if you want us to believe that Microsoft has grounds for suing Linux, feel free to start making your case at any time. Because as things stand, Microsoft has been on the wrong end of a lot more rulings than Linux (or any oth
Re:Do you know what FUD is? (Score:4, Informative)
I can see no reason for Balmer to make this statement except to spread fear, uncertainty, and doubt about Linux. Can you imagine some other reason for him to state such a thing? Yes, we are calling his motives into question.
You see, his arguments aren't wrong. Microsoft could sue Linux. That isn't the issue. The issue is, why even talk about it rather than simply doing it? Balmer's motives are the issue, so it is completely legitimate to posit that his motives are to spread FUD. Doing so counters his assumed motives and puts the ball back in his court.
Not FUD? Then sue. Won't sue? Then it's FUD.
Without an actual lawsuit, there is nothing for potential linux users to fear. We are not trying to counter his arguments, we can't. Microsoft could perfectly well sue Linux. We are trying to counter his unstated goals by countering the fears he brings up. If they wanted to sue, they would have.
It's FUD until they actually sue. Then we can worry about winning the argument that Linux infringes on Microsoft IP. Until then, we will simply say, don't listen to him, he's full of FUD.
Re:The F word (Score:4, Interesting)
quick somebody (Score:5, Funny)
Patent the triple click or click(n + 1) and sue the bejesus out of Microsoft for all those times you have been waiting around for something to open and you just keep clicking.
Re:quick somebody (Score:2)
>
> Patent the triple click or click(n + 1) and sue the bejesus out of Microsoft for all those times you have been waiting around for something to open and you just keep clicking.
Patent #13,378,008,135: Method for trebuchet-Barcalounger-based propulsion. [trebuchet.com]
The present invention propulsion devices for software developers, developers, developers, and, more particularl
Re:quick somebody (Score:2)
double-click patent only for handhelds (Score:5, Informative)
And if I interprete the patent [uspto.gov] correctly, even then, only to physical buttons.
And I still think that the patent is bogus.
(You know, it's an innovation because
Not FUD, sound business tactics (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Not FUD, sound business tactics (Score:5, Insightful)
The really, really sad thing is that you are absolutely correct.
Re:Not FUD, sound business tactics (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Not FUD, sound business tactics (Score:5, Insightful)
Good (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Good (Score:5, Informative)
I've never heard of a patent lawsuit where the defendant was allowed to inspect the plaintiff's source code for other random violations. It probably made sense when you made this up but it's not the way the world works.
Take random huge Linux user, e.g. a large bank that runs 70% of its servers on Linux and is migrating the other 30% as fast as it can. Now produce a patent with 17 claims. Now if large bank cannot disprove each and every one of these 17 claims, they must stop using Linux immediately, or pay whatever the patent holder asks. It is up to the defendant to break the patent claims.
Microsoft will not enforce their patents, if they have any that they think undercut Linux, not because there is any real defense (there is not) but because they will wait until Linux is well-enough established that the patent negotations will go smoothly.
Patent licenses are a large planned revenue stream for Microsoft, and they are only possible when there is a large captive public of infringers who keep infringing. Thus, Linux growth is actually good for Microsoft, seen from this point of view.
Where the whole lovely effice collapses is when we see that for ever dollar MSFT can hope to earn from licensing "their" IP in this way, they will spend ten times that fighting and settling patent ambushes.
Patent holders have a huge power. Look at NTP's extortion of RIM. Microsoft think they can use this power to extort future Linux users. But it's a very risky gamble because MSFT are a lovely target for extortion themselves.
Re:Not FUD, sound business tactics (Score:5, Insightful)
Unfortunately, too late for MS. If they did that 2-3 years ago, they might've even succeded. It would be easy to pick on standalone home developers, a free open season on Linux hackers.
Now? Not really. Too many corporations are getting money from Linux and they will fight for their piece of pie. If they would proceed with this steps, all they would achieve is corporate fight without any rules, but no gain.
One case that proves what I'm saying. OIN http://linux.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/11/10
MS is just too late with this idea as every time.
Should MS not enforce their rights, they're hosed and the stockholder get's POed.
Unfortunatelly, MS stockholders stand just as much chance as SCO.
It's a sound business decision and, frankly, so obvious that it should not have even been reported. It falls into the "duh, no shit, sherlock" category. So what else is new? This ain't FUD people, this is business as usual.
In bussines, timing is everything. MS has missed this oportunity (as every other time). While I agree with your saying it isn't FUD, it is not sensible reality either. It would like MS is declaring the start of the last battle in this war (First they ignore you, they they laugh at you, they get scared, they fight, they lose), where MS is not fighting, but pissing against the wind. And this is business as usual to.
Re:Not FUD, sound business tactics (Score:3)
True. When we're talking about Linux-loving corporations we're talking about corporations like Big Blue. And Big Blue has bigger (or at least more) guns than Microsoft in the case of a full-scale patent war. Add to that companies like Novell or Sony and you get a force that can just walk over Microsoft. Heck, they could simply walk into Mordor if they wanted to.
Also, as has been already pointe
Re:Not Sound business, total FUD... (Score:5, Insightful)
Which IP? TAB handling? Virtual desktops? Wearable devices?
99.9% of MS IP is shamefull stealing from long existing projects. Name one real IP invented by MS.
Re:Not Sound business, total FUD... (Score:3, Informative)
Really?
1. It can be overthrown as prior art.
2. It is not valid worldwide. EU doesn't recognise SW patents for example.
3. Too much of business already depends on Linux for this to go down without a major incident. IBM, Novell, Sony... They won't just let MS take their piece of pie without a fight.
4. They are being trialed as monopolist, meaning... they are in disadvantage and enforcing this would mean that accusation is having merit.
5. OIN. Look at the patents MS breaks t
Re:Not Sound business, total FUD... (Score:3, Insightful)
Bullshit. I don't know where poeple like you got the idea that companies have some obligation to a certain course of action.
Don't spew shit about fiduciary duty. The truth of the matter is the people running the company have great latitude to make decisions about the direction of the company. They can't blatently steal from their shareholders, but they can very easily say "Hey,
Who is or represents Linux? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Who is or represents Linux? (Score:5, Interesting)
Most of the suits would be bullshit, but they could do some serious damage.
Microsoft has done some sordid things in their time, but I do fear the potential of Microsoft's wrath much more then anything else. With that much money on hand, there's no limit.
Re:Who is or represents Linux? (Score:2)
Ocean has more than one side. (Score:5, Interesting)
The fun is, there is more than one ocean. On the other side of the Pacific one, US patents are worth less.
It's easy to figure out who to sue (Score:2)
That means anyone making money off linux or using linux. Just like SCO delivered warning letters for anyone using the 2.4 kernel before their big lawsuit (we got one of these from SCO's general counsel), Microsoft will do the same. Lawsuits follow the cash and therefore IBM will be the first sued.
Re:Who is or represents Linux? (Score:2)
MS could do this without breaking a sweat.
Re:Who is or represents Linux? (Score:3, Insightful)
Of course you can also sue the coders, if you feel like it.
Patents are pretty broad. And of course ignorance isn't a defense, so you're legally obligated to have memorized all umpteen millions of existing patents so you can be sure you're not infringing on them.
(Sometimes I think that last point is the strongest anti-patent argument there is; the bar is set so low you're effectively guaranteed to be in viola
What this really means... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:What this really means... (Score:2)
Fine, they can have the double-click... (Score:2)
standard (Score:2)
he would be considered unfit to run the company if he wasn't capable of producing similarly guarded responses by default.
Would it matter if he did? (Score:2)
So, let's say Ballmer says he'll never pursue legal action against Linux. And decides 2 years from now to do so anyways.
What happens next?
Microsoft is flailing (Score:5, Insightful)
I think the best analogy for Microsoft's current situation is when Apple was struggling to come out with Copland. At that time, Apple flailed around a lot trying to figure out ways to make money. Ultimately, they concluded they needed to find a way to start all over with their OS. Microsoft will wind up doing the same, eventually.
In the meantime, let's hope their flailing won't harm Linux.
Re:Microsoft is flailing (Score:5, Funny)
But they are focusing on what they do best...
Re:Microsoft is flailing (Score:3, Interesting)
In traditional
1.) Think of idea
2.) Pati
Re:Microsoft is flailing (Score:5, Interesting)
I don't think that's a foregone conclusion, although it would be a welcome one. They're going to put out Vista first though, come hell or high water.
As the NYT article [nytimes.com] states, MS holds backwards compatibility sacred. And yes, they've broken it in small ways in the past (XP SP2 was probably one of the largest breaks in recent years), but nothing big. They're scared of breaking it in a "big" way because they know it could cause market fragmentation -- if I'm stuck on Windows because of some proprietary app that we lost the code for years ago and that's essential to my business, well if Windows 2010 breaks it, then why should I stick with Windows?
Frankly, I think they're a little over-concerned on this front. Yes, there are a number of apps out there like that. But that's solvable now -- they could spin up an entire virtualized copy of XP in a VM. It'd be slow, but it'd at least work. And most businesses would stick with Windows over the alternatives because that's what their IT knows, it has the widest range of apps available, and the widest hardware support.
Heck, how much crap could they be rid of if they simply ditched DOS and the entire 16-bit layer? What about for crap like WMF and other archaic data formats? Would ditching FAT32 as a bootable FS (or an FS for "special" files, like profiles and swap) buy anything?
Of course, I suspect that that's not the real sticking points when it comes to "compatibility". There's craptastic API calls all over the Windows API. There are entire layers of APIs that MS stopped promoting years ago, but are still used. And what about the craptastic IE5/6 renderer? Talk about a support and development nightmare.
Apple had the "fortune" circumstance of being a bit player. Microsoft doesn't. If Apple fragmented its market share, well, there wasn't all that much to lose in the first place. The same cannot be said for MS, and MS's entire business plan has revolved around a unified OS (supplied by it) for decades.
Re:Microsoft is flailing (Score:3, Informative)
But that's solvable now -- they could spin up an entire virtualized copy of XP in a VM. It'd be slow, but it'd at least work.
Doesn't even have to be that slow. With Xen, you taking only a small performance hit, 2% to 8%.
The trick, of course, is to get the VM guest OS applications to interact with the rest of your system in a seamless fashion.
Re:Microsoft is flailing (Score:3, Interesting)
You are right, it has been nearly 5 years, but I don't know that it is getting ridiculous.
Windows XP is fast, (relatively) stable, pretty, and easy for the average user. Microsoft has kept it patched and updated (to some degree), and provided a service pack for some larger upgrades. And at the same time they've released several versions of media center, tablet pc, etc. All the while building the tools f
Re:Microsoft is flailing (Score:3, Insightful)
I know the pac
Windos IS ridiculous. (Score:3, Insightful)
XP can be MADE to be fairly fast, but it can even more easily be made to be a big, slow pig.
For some time hooking up a stock XP machine to the 'net would bring it crashing to a worm-infested halt within minutes--literally. XP has reached a point of stability but for a great deal of its lifetime it was unstable as hell--mostly because of its massive vulnerability to exploits and "turned on by default" philosophy regarding service
Re:Microsoft is flailing (Score:3, Funny)
Windows Server 2003 was a MAJOR revision?
what he was about to say... (Score:3, Interesting)
In other words, stifle if you can't innovate (Score:5, Insightful)
They are simply incapable of any real innovation and never have been, so they stifle and steal ideas and use marketing muscle to sell it as thier own.
I'd say these methods have a limited lifespan, as is clear with Vista.
They are being beaten to the punch due to lack of this innovation, by Apple, by Google and by Linux.
No amount of FUD or threats is ever going to stop that, time to move over microsoft, as your going to be played at your own game and your going to lose.
Double click? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Double click? (Score:3, Funny)
Open Invention Network may counter (Score:5, Interesting)
I suspect that the Open Invention Network [openinventionnetwork.com] was set up to defend against this very possibility. If Microsoft makes a move the alliance will use their patents to counter. Which the companies involved have a pretty comprehensive portfolio.
Re:Open Invention Network may counter (Score:3, Interesting)
That's why SCO had to do it with copyright. Violating copyright is like getting caught with your hand in the cookie jar. As soon as you say the word "patent", though, everybody who has something to lose i
Re:Open Invention Network may counter (Score:3, Funny)
This sounds like a Star Wars plot only better. Too bad you can't have voice over sound effects of snythetic breathing and symphonic music of the Imperial march theme.
Darth SourceSafe: "The IP is strong in this one"
Ob1_compile to
Luke SyntaxWalker: "Luke, use the source"
I ne
much ado about nothing (Score:4, Informative)
Well, I think there are experts who claim Linux violates our intellectual property. I'm not going to comment. But to the degree that that's the case, of course we owe it to our shareholders to have a strategy. And when there is something interesting to say, you'll be the first to hear it.
All you're seeing in that answer is "we have an obligation to our shareholders to protect our rights if we're being infringed". And if there's something interesting to say (in the mysterious future), he'll let Forbes know about it.
Taking that comment to mean MS is threatening to sue various companies over Linux infringements is akin to screaming the sky is falling when a bird shits on your head.
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:A perfectly good reason why they must go (Score:3, Insightful)
He was asked a direct question about it. What should he have done? Lied? Run away? I suppose he could have just said "no comment," but all things considered, don't we want more transparency, not less?
Can't disagree with Balmer here (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Can't disagree with Balmer here (Score:3, Funny)
He could quit and donate a billion dollars to Ubuntu.
Re:Can't disagree with Balmer here (Score:3, Interesting)
Can you cite the experts saying this? Just curious.
Re:Can't disagree with Balmer here (Score:3, Insightful)
We're pathetic... (Score:5, Interesting)
If the U.S. government won't use the Sherman Anti-trust Act to stop Microsoft, we need to rely on one of the fundamental principles of capitalism - Adam Smith's invisible hand. We need to stop buying, supporting, using, and working with Microsoft software. I do know how crazy that sounds, but revolutions require revolutionary thinking.
Many of you claim that you use Windows because your employers do - that's a crock. Make a personal choice. I work for a Fortune 50, in an enterprise-level position, and I haven't owned a Windows machine in over 5 years. I have may 98% of everything I need at home and work function with Mac OS or Linux. In the extreme cases (that last 2%), I use CrossOver Office. Once (ONCE) in the last five years, I had to borrow a colleagues' Windows machine to complete some training - because our server software was so out of date that the manufacturer's Mac drivers didn't support the old protocols. Every opportunity I have to recommend standards, I oppose the implementation of further Windows desktop or server deployments.
Not, seriously, I'm not crazy - I know all of this isn't feasible for all of you. Don't do anything to risk your livelihood, your sustainable income, or the ability to feed your family, but seriously ask yourself... "Am I doing everything I can to support Linux and Open Source, and help prevent the patent threat that Microsoft represents?"
So may on Slashdot these days have become Microsoft apologists - they aren't that bad... their UI is far superior... I have to use them at the office... all the good games are only written for Windows... ad nauseam. We need to use what power we have to stave off a serious threat to the technologies we are personally passionate about. We are the developers, the administrations, and the infrastructure of the nation and world's IT organizations. We must stand strong if we want to have any options. Because after Linux, it's Mac OS, then Solaris, then AIX, until all that's left is Windows. All that's left is crap. Yes, it is *that* slippery a slope.
And, if we stand united, we can affect Microsoft's profits. Make their shareholders listen. Make the board of directors require policy changes. I don't hate Microsoft or any company - but this "Patent Cold War" is despicable.
I am not advocating overnight change 180 degrees. Only that you ask yourself one simple question every day...
"Am I doing everything I can to enable choice in technology?"
Re:We're pathetic... (Score:2, Interesting)
Well, I'm going to get a good laugh if KDE4 (actually the libs only) are ported to Windows and form a nice alternative to .Net based applications while being truly cross-platform. Not that I'm confident it will happen but it has a lot of potent
Adam Smith (Score:3, Interesting)
Unfortunately, that's simply not true. Perhaps the best example is the herd behavior that's very cleverly exploited by Microsoft. Not to mention the efficacy of Microsoft-sponsored FUD. There are actually people out there who consider that Windoze is more secure and stable ... no kiddin'.
Re:We're pathetic... (Score:5, Interesting)
Creating incompatibilities with Windows and other Microsoft technologies is doing this HOW?
Please, don't be like Apple. They tried to do the whole 'we won't play ball with you' routine and look where it got them? Apple could be where Microsoft is today had they played their cards differently. But because they didn't they've consigned themselves to be a perpetual "also ran."
Open source is about technology, not ideology. People in the real world choose it and use it to the degree to which it is superior and/or more economical. No one cares about the ideology of the developers. The more ideological someone is about a piece of technology, the less likely they are to be listened to for very long. No one respects wild-eyed zealots for whom computers and computer technology are a religion. People like that are eternally confined to the lower rungs of IT organizations because they lack the ability to be impartial and are by their very nature NOT pragmatic. Religion belongs in church, not in an IT environment.
The best way to beat Microsoft is to refuse to play by their rules. The very LAST thing that Microsoft wants is technologies that are a direct replacement for their own. Such technologies are dependent upon their ability to interoperate with Microsoft's products. The better Linux and other open source technologies work with Microsoft's stuff, the more they will be used. The more they are used, the more impact they have upon the creation of defacto standards.
You hate Microsoft, well guess what, no one cares. The people who make decisions about how their IT budget will be spent don't give a rat's ass about your feelings. The only things they care about are protecting their jobs and choosing the technology that is best suited to their environment. Creating incompatibilities with Windows or other "evil" technologies is a damned fine way to ensure that your preferred technology is NOT chosen.
Lee
We're in for a rough transition... (Score:2)
The good part about this is, however, that in a way, Steve Ballmer was right - Open Source software IS like cancer. Not in the harmful way as he had hoped his audience to invision, however, but in the sense that it will becom
IBM (Score:2, Insightful)
Against whom will they file? (Score:5, Interesting)
Red Hat and Novell? They're big enough to fight it, and even if they lose, I was using GNU/Lunix before they were around, and it'll still be available after they're gone. IBM? IBM have been building a patent portfolia for decades. Bring it on!
Linus? Not even Microsoft could countenance a PR gaffe of that scale. People like Linus.
The FSF? Well, Stallman is no Linus in the popularity stakes, but I'm sure he'd relish the opportunity to be given a soapbox to point out that patents are indeed the big threat to competition and choice.
Whatever they do though, Microsoft will send one message loud and clear: they can't compete on technology, so they have to stifle the competition.
Is that really how desperate they've become? If so, then that's a good sign for their competitors, both Free and otherwise.
corporate bow shot (Score:3, Interesting)
selecting Linux. I am sure there are a lot of corporate IT depts out there now
that at one time would never have considered Linux, now are selecting it for
all the reasons we use it for. Whats better is the growth has been a cushion
for these IT managers to not have to be out there on their own. One way
Microsoft can turn the table is to sow a little fear in the IT managers boss.
Just a wiff of a patent lawsuit or some form of injunction and it would have
the desired effect of steering some IT depts away from Linux and towards Microsoft.
Its a bit hard from a conceptual point of view to see how you pin the tail on this
one, whats injunct worthy here is not necessarily so elsewhere.
Not to mention the ill will it may engender. Still corporate Vista is on track
so they say, and thats the one Ballmer would be trying to force upon IT depts. The timing
would be right, sow the lawsuit, reap the rewards.
Hedley
Patents (Score:3, Funny)
And here we go.... (Score:2, Insightful)
Microsoft has been hoarding patents, regardless of prior art, for some time now. The patent office will grant a patent, when it's not contested. They have 4000 or so now....
Now comes the fun.... litigate.... and do so against open source. Leaving the cost of this litigation with the large Linux vendors who's pockets are not nearly as deep as Microsoft.
And here's what they bank on: They can bankrupt the Linux movement fina
OIN Owns Patents for technology Microsoft uses (Score:5, Interesting)
Fedora's Greg DeKoenigsberg [fedoraproject.org] has finally posted a explanation on why Redhat has now included Mono in Fedora Core 5 [livejournal.com]:
If Microsoft should choose to sue people for using projects under the umbrella such as Linux or MONO, the Mutually Assured Destruction clock hits midnight.Also see what Risk to USERS of open source from patent claims [slashdot.org]?
Re:Mono is now DEAD (Score:3, Informative)
Also, Mono is not "in Linux". It is an application which can be run on a Linux system, and is included on a handful of Linux distributions. This d
The REAL QUESTION is... (Score:3, Interesting)
Further, I have no doubt that Gate's lawyers would already have filed a legal action if they found MS IP in ANY FOSS project, especially the Linux kernel and FireFox. In fact, if they are aware of such violations they have a legal obligation to inform those projects so that the projects can mitigate the damage.
No, the REAL QUESTION is: "How much Linux & FOSS IP is hiding in Microsoft's secret code base? I'll wager it's MILLIONS of lines of code.
We won't dismiss to use force.. (Score:3, Interesting)
There is a reason why economics should be regulated by scientists.
It is getting more and more farse. It is really all? It is all you can do? West? It is called progress? Capitalism?
It is *sad* to see all what have been good, go. But it is has to go. Such thinking is dead end for free market and capitalism itself. Anyone sees it more and more.
Less on my emotional and moral rant... Now we see "then they fight you" phase at it's maximum. Question is - will be there "and then you win" phase for us, free/open source software and small business? What Microsoft, sinking like Titanic, will take with it?
Filing fees should be increased (Score:3, Interesting)
I have a sad message for his shareholders (Score:5, Insightful)
Sue all you want. Open your war chest of patents and fire away, Have IBM join the fray and fire back with an army of lawyers and tons of prior art. Drag Donald E. Knuth to court and have him confess that he came up with large parts of the stuff everybody claims to have a patent on. Force people to join patent ammo interest groups and have 10-20 wisecracks come forward who've managed to pass "pattern-matching" and "bit-vectors" passt the patent office clerks, ready to sue MS to chunky kibbles - or step down for a mean xx million sum.
Be it that in the end, 50% of Linux is actually 'illegal code'. 'Illegal' as in 'patent-thought crime'. Illegal as in 'may never use FAT' and 'may never use CF12xx encoding for characters.'. And so on. But never forget:
Linux/OSS isn't playing Microsofts game. It's not about money. It's about nice computer stuff that's fun to lots of people. It's about software that does interesting things, not about making money. It's made to work without money. It's about PHP. Mozillla. Python. Blender. Not about Money.
MS won't survive as a software-only company. They can sue, burn 5-10 billion and set back desktop Linux by a decade. And they have to if the shareholders demand it. But they can't win. Because OSS is not playing their game. OSS has more IT expert manpower than MS can even dream of. And it's machinery is fuled by passion, not money. That's what scares the piss out of MS.
"... then they fight you. Then you win." QED.
Top Men (Score:5, Funny)
Interviewer: Who are these experts?
Ballmer: Top men.
Interviewer: Like who?
Ballmer: Top men.
Interviewer: Can you give me a name?
Ballmer: Top. Men.
Didn't say a word about suing anyone (Score:3, Insightful)
Question You mention intellectual property. What's going on in terms of Microsoft IP showing up in Linux? And what are you going to do about it?
Question Well, I think there are experts who claim Linux violates our intellectual property. I'm not going to comment. But to the degree that that's the case, of course we owe it to our shareholders to have a strategy. And when there is something interesting to say, you'll be the first to hear it.
This statement does not imply that the only strategy is a legal recourse. It doesn't imply that the strategy will not be a legal recourse either. It just means that MS will have to look at any problem case by case.
Bring it. (Score:5, Interesting)
Wars on the IE front, Wars on the server front, Wars on the standards fronts.
Legal battles with various corporations, the patent office, and various governments.
Let them come against Linux. Who are they going to pick a fight with, IBM? Redhat? Novell? Maybe this lawsuit will break the (MS) camel's back. I do know that discovery in any MS versus (Linux Corp.) case will be very, very interesting. Linux's dirty laundry is avaliable for everyone to see, but won't it be nice for (Linux Corp's) our lawyers to take a look at MS source, MS confidential e-mails, MS's internal documents?
I think so. Not to mention that IBM'll be able to contribute a bunch of that stuff from their current discovery involving MS's contacts with SCO. And if IBM gets drawn into (Linux Corp) versus MS, I think very interesting things will happen.
Not to mention that MS will never have any success versus Linux; even if they smear one linux company, the "community" will rewrite those portions, and move on.
Lyons an MS Lawn Jockey again... (Score:3, Interesting)
Apparently, Lyons must have been taken to the woodshed by Forbes (or MS) and this article demonstrates Lyons in his usual role as MS lawn jockey, dutifully feeding canned questions to Ballmer.
The question of major interest, "will Microsoft sue Linux for IP violations?" is amazing in its bluff and bravado. There is little doubt that this question was designed to deflect attention away from the FAILED LAUNCH of VISTA and, simultaneously, to slow the already rapid adoption rate of Linux. It has failed on both counts because MS has become too transparent and too desparate.
Microsoft (Gates and Ballmer) know FULL WELL that if they sue the Linux kernel poject they have sued IBM, Novell, RedHat, HP, several foreign governments and agencies, not to mention the US DOD, the NYSE, movie studios and PDA manufacturers the world over. This will open up counter suits claiming that MS has stolen Linux code/IP. Then they'll have to PRODUCE their proof, which will open up their own code to public scrutiny. Considering how many times they have already been convicted of stealing other folks code Microsoft wouldn't survive that revelation.
Oh my! (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Beleaguered Microsoft CEO (Score:2)