Microsoft Claims Patent On Elements of Embedded Linux? 191
Preedit writes "An InformationWeek story points out a recent deal between Microsoft and Japanese printer maker Kyocera Mita. Under the agreement, Kyocera obtained from Microsoft a license to patents used in 'certain Linux-based embedded technologies.' The question the author asks is why Kyocera needs a patent license from Microsoft to develop its embedded Linux products."
Useless Article... (Score:5, Interesting)
I used to be an embedded Linux developer.
However, I could more thoughtfully comment on this if the article revealed just what patents Microsoft believes Kyocera to be violating. It could have nothing to do with Linux; moreover, it could very well be a patent on some method of printing which is specific to the Kyocera hardware and just happens to be implemented as a Linux driver.
Looks more like FUD against Linux than anything else.
Re:Useless Article... (Score:5, Interesting)
From the article:
Is it adding proprietary Microsoft technology on top of embedded Linux?
Could be...
Hard to know what that means--it's deliberately vague.
Now that's some reporting. There is really nothing to see here.Not just fud... (Score:4, Interesting)
By binding potential developers (and we will may never see what is in the agreement in total) to MS it may make it a lot harder for them to deliver products that work with linux.
Now everytime they go to release a driver legal are going to have to have a good hard look at driver and the MS agreement.
How long before it gets to be too much hard work and they not bother?
"developers, developers, developers" is still true. Without delivery of new products any OS will die. Kyocera Mita make stuff people want to use in business settings - printer/fax machines and stuff like that.
Re:A few questions for Kyocera (Score:2, Interesting)
Maybe were reading this deal the wrong way.... (Score:5, Interesting)
Maybe Kyocera just licensed Fonts/ODBC or some other mundane MS technology to use in their products. Food for thought.
Enjoy,
Re:They Don't. (Score:4, Interesting)
Show us the the source of this statment, or stuh teh fkuc up and go back to the caves of Redmond.
Re:Useless Article... (Score:5, Interesting)
Based on the recent news of a major Korean company being under investigation for corruption/et cetera (this isn't localized to Korea, just mentioning it in proximity to this article), I will go on a limb and say microsoft is just wheeling and dealing and paying some exec to "go along with the script":
"We'll claim you're violating one or more of our patents; doesn't matter which ones, if they're pending or not; doesn't matter if later the USPTO tells us we're full of it; doesn't matter if prior art exists. WE rule this world, and if you play by our terms, Sonsaengnim, you'll make a buttload of money."
That's the business world for you.
Re:Japanese culture? (Score:5, Interesting)
Many companies I've known won't use software if they aren't paying someone for support and a license (and, often, particular support guarantees and/or performance warranties.) I don't know anything about Japanese culture, but in business the need to have some else that's feet can be held to the fire if something goes wrong is a big deal.
Of course, you can get paid support (and sometimes licensing, when the software is under a dual OSS/commercial licensing model) for most OSS you might want to adopt in a business environment, so neither cultural nor business-based reluctance to use software without paying for it should be a major barrier to OSS adoption.
Re:Useless Article... UCLA owns it (Score:3, Interesting)
We also know that UCLA has recently sued over the non-licensed usage of it's patents by a number of software technology firms, including Microsoft.
All your stolen Microsoft patents are belong to Cali!
Microsoft's Long Term Plan (Score:3, Interesting)
Once the next generation of hardware comes out, and you cant get a driver as its so tied up in the legal world that it can never escape, what will you have left to run? Why, officially endorsed Microsoft software and hardware of course.
It wont happen today, or tomorrow, but they have the time and money to think *really* long term ( like in decades ) on this
Re:Standad MS business practice... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Japanese culture? (Score:2, Interesting)
In the big one, any proposal/request had to be stamped by a long LONG line of people before it could be approved, so that if anything went wrong the blame was distributed. If there was no form in existence to suitably acquire said distributed blame, it was 'difficult'
(= impossible / forbidden / no)
In the other, they implemented a locked down linux across all workstations after a disgruntled former employee erased their main server. They also switched their server from Windows 2000 (it was a while ago) to Solaris. This was a company where having a shiny piece of paper that said you weren't to blame wouldn't make a lick of difference if the CEO was smacking you about the head.
In the first kind of company, nobody will ever get fired for opting for the Microsoft option. Microsoft is an infinitely appropriate designated recipient of blame. If your OpenBSD server gets owned, who do you point at?
That's all.
Re:Japanese culture? (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Useless Article... (Score:2, Interesting)
Microsoft has been granted patents to FAT32 and VFAT, so there's a good chance Kyocera would want rights to use that.
software patents (Score:3, Interesting)
Software patent lifetimes should probably get quite a bit shorter, too...
Software patents shouldn't exist at all, neither should patents for business methods. Only non obvious hardware implementations and unique solutions not already published should be patented.
Falcon