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Ballmer Repeats Threats Against Linux
Posted by
CmdrTaco
on Wed Feb 21, 2007 11:07 AM
from the this-can-only-end-badly dept.
from the this-can-only-end-badly dept.
daria42 writes "Steve Ballmer has reissued Microsoft's patent threat against Linux, warning open-source vendors that they must respect his company's intellectual property. In a no-nonsense presentation to New York financial analysts last week, Microsoft's chief executive said the company's partnership with Novell, which it signed in November 2006, "demonstrated clearly the value of intellectual property, even in the open-source world.""
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I do not get this (Score:5, Insightful)
Is he going to sue anyone who uses this?
Is he going to sue those who hoste the code?
From the article it seems it is mostly the Linux vendors that Ballmer wants to target.
The US is, as far as I know, the only country that has implented all these sick software patent laws until now, how are they going to sue a UK based company?
With the current state of things the worst that could happen is that companies stop using Linux in the US, I don't see how they want to sue anyone based in Europe?
Would the US government then start supporting Microsoft in trade wars?
This whole software patent thing is beyond my understanding, I wonder if anyone out there really get the idea behind this?
Re:I do not get this (Score:5, Insightful)
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Re:I do not get this (Score:5, Insightful)
Yes.
And, it looks like the EU is starting to move the same direction as the USA with respect to IP laws, so don't think you Europians will get a "walk" on this. Microsoft sees a major crack in their entire philosophy of business, and they will use their finantial advantage to stamp out those who get in their way. Watch out, SCO was just fodder, the real fight is yet to come.
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Sabre rattling (Score:5, Insightful)
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Re:I do not get this (Score:5, Insightful)
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Re:I do not get this (Score:5, Funny)
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Re:I do not get this (Score:5, Insightful)
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Re:I do not get this (Score:5, Insightful)
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Re:Everything old is new again. (Score:5, Interesting)
1. Ballmer is right and are not protecting shareholders interest.
2. Ballers is wrong and are lying to his shareholders.
Whats true ? Whats worse ? Either way - he's out on a limb on this one - wonder who will push him off it ?
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Details, Ballmer or it ain't so (Score:5, Insightful)
Ballmer needs to stop saying "they stole our IP" and start citing versions, files, lines and patent numbers. Otherwise Microsoft looks like a bigger SCO. And that is not a pretty picture for a company like Microsoft intends itself to be.
Re:Details, Ballmer or it ain't so (Score:5, Informative)
The difference between the two cases is SCO claimed copyright infringement whereas Microsoft is claiming patent infringement (I believe).
Software patents are so much more vague than copyright, so there's a good chance some of the GNU/Linux operating system is infringing. Remember the study that found 283 possible software patent infringements [internetnews.com] in the Linux kernel alone? I would be suprised if some of those didn't belong to Microsoft (and that was 2004, there are probably more now).
This public sabre-rattling is not without basis. Seems to me that Microsoft are keeping the specifics under wraps, then threatening companies with them in private. Remember what ex-Novell employee said in this interview [itworldcanada.com]? Here's a reminder:
It's also funny you should mention this:
Some people (including this respected legal blogger [lamlaw.com]--at the bottom of that article) believe Microsoft funded and put SCO up to its anti-GNU/Linux FUD litigation. So, really they are a bigger SCO!
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Whatever (Score:5, Insightful)
Dear sir,
Either file suit against the parties infringing on your precious IP, or SHUT THE FUCK UP.
Sincerely,
Everyone
P.S. - Vista blows donkey balls.
Distraction (Score:5, Insightful)
Hmmm Vista is floundering and we need to distract the press from this and the piracy angle isn't working... what can we do... oh yeah, let's threaten open source, that should distract them.
Alternately
Hmmm Vista sales are floundering, and even I'm not stupid enough to really think it's piracy causing it, Hmmmm.... it must be that open source stuff, time to threaten to sue somebody.
Ballmer == Eric Cartman? (Score:5, Funny)
Just think of Ballmer with those aviator sunglasses on (that had the reflection of mountains in the background) shouting: 'You will respect my intellectual propertayyyyy!!!'
Mutually Assured Destruciton (Score:5, Funny)
I somehow doubt Microsoft would be foolish enough to actually fire off patent suits . . . especially when there are other big players with massive patent portfolios and a vested interest in Linux . . .
Secretary: "Mr. Ballmer, I have a group of IBM attorneys in the lobby asking to see you, shall I let them in?"
Ballmer: "My God Man! Do they want to settle my patent suit against Linux?"
Secretary: "I'm not sure what they want sir . . . but they brought a flag.
The Next Thing You Know.... (Score:5, Funny)
How long ago was it? (Score:5, Insightful)
Seems that they are now changing their tune... I'm not surprised...
BSA (Score:5, Insightful)
From our perspective, this absolutely has to be stopped. But the BSA already has the legal authority to get in the door in many cases, and once they're looking at your systems for Microsoft wares, they'd better be checking the Linux boxes for Word running under Wine anyway - so checking them for Linux is a minor afterthought.
20 years stealing, and now this? (Score:5, Insightful)
The threat is real but empty (Score:5, Insightful)
In both cases there would be a brief chilling effect on the competition -- until the offending IP is pulled out of the Linux core and it is recompiled, at which point M$ has nothing. Except that in the mean time they may get hauled back into court for anti-monopoly practices, and that offending the highly intelligent Linux community is about as smart as kicking over a nest of fire ants -- because every major bit of M$ released code will be targeted for suing M$ for their own patent infringing code, etc.
So Ballmer's threat is akin to a robber pulling a gun in a doughnut shop only to discover that he is surrounded by a room full of well-armed, motivated policeman who would like nothing more than to put his sorry a$$ back where it belongs. We all know this, and M$ knows it as well. But so long as he can sell a few more copies of Vista, XP, etc. Ballmer has little to lose by acting the bully in the mean time.
Nice to hear (Score:5, Interesting)
So guys keep on the good work, when Mr Ballmer is yelling like a fool, the work is very good.
Thank you developers for this nice moment.
On Ballmers Computer (Score:5, Funny)
Didn't IBM pledge to let LINUX use their Patents? (Score:5, Interesting)
MS has got to be feeling some pressure with lack luster VISTA success. They have huge amounts of cash; but, the business analysts have to be wondering how long it will last if their cash cows start to under produce. When stocks sell at large multiples of their earnings the price is set by confidence that the company's earnings will increase at a steady rate. If confidence in the company's ability should fail, MS would be very disrupted. It hasn't happened yet; but, they have to allay the fears of people who recommend stocks.
Dance Ballmer Monkey Dance (Score:5, Informative)
Re:I will only take this seriously (Score:5, Funny)
Now, ask yourself, did you eat the paint chips?
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