openSUSE Hobbled By Microsoft Patents 266
kripkenstein writes "openSUSE 10.2 no longer enables ClearType (which would improve the appearance of fonts). The reason given on the openSUSE mailing list for not enabling it is, 'this feature is covered by several Microsoft patents and should not be activated in any default build of the library.'
As reported on and discussed, this matter may be connected to the Microsoft-Novell deal. If so, Novell should have received a license for the Microsoft patents, assuming the deal covered all relevant patents. Does the license therefore extend only to SUSE, but not openSUSE?"
Well, that's it then. (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Prior art? (Score:2, Interesting)
Suse vs Open Suse (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:anti-aliasing makes me need glasses (Score:3, Interesting)
Hidden warning (Score:2, Interesting)
Is this the start of the hide and seek of infringement legalities?
Lets hope SUSE understand this can be just the beginning. Novell people should put in some thinking into not getting pawned once again by MS.
Whatever i am better off without them on my Edgy Ubuntu machine. :)
~psr
Typical 'Bend Over' Novell (Score:3, Interesting)
The question really is, why was it deemed OK to enable it before, and suddenly it has become a big deal where it is disabled?
Additionally, there seems to be some confusion of the Microsoft/Novell deal. The patent agreement would not be legal with the terms of the GPL, rather Microsoft gave a covenant not to sue to Novell's customers and promised to be nice to OpenSuse's users. Whether that would cover this, I don't know.
Same with fedora (Score:1, Interesting)
Can we now use the GPL? (Score:4, Interesting)
The GPL is very clear on one point: if you know your software infringes on some patent, you can't distribute it, even if you have a deal with the patent holder enabling you to do that*. Can Novell now be prosecuted? Is that code GPLed (it seems to be KDE, so it probably is)?
* Unless that deal is extended to everybody that touches the code.
Re:Well, that's it then. (Score:3, Interesting)
Out of curiousity, do other major distributions enable this either? In other words, is this news at all?
A page on the FreeType project site [freetype.org] says:
However, I've previously been under the impression that most distributions would ship at least without some features covered by patents. On the other hand, it's not only MS who owns patents that concern subpixel rendering, and I don't know who owns what, so that's why I'm left wondering if someone else actually knows.
Re:Prior art (Score:3, Interesting)
I could claim prior art if I could just get those damned 5.25" floppies to read in anything. Of course, this was common practice back in the day, so maybe some old Apple II programmers out there can come up with AppleSoft BASIC code or something.
Re:Prior art (Score:5, Interesting)
Um, didn't Linux already fix this? (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:anti-aliasing makes me need glasses (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Suse vs Open Suse (Score:2, Interesting)
Heh, I went the other way not too long ago. I started with Ubuntu, but the more familiar I got with linux, the more I hated Ubuntu. I finally switched to openSuse a few months ago(mainly because it was the only distro I could get running on my laptop at the time) and fell in love with it. I finally completely shed myself of Ubuntu when the box I had at home wouldn't let me even log in anymore. I haven't really looked back.
I will say that I don't like a lot of the defaults in 10.2, especially the main menu it has by default. Hadn't really noticed the font thing though.
Mark my words...the legal war cometh... (Score:2, Interesting)
Fathers, gather your weapons now. Board up your windows and doors. Make sure your cellars are concealed and livable, so that your wives and daughters will be comfortable. The War to End All Wars is upon us, and it's our obligation to join the cause and fight the dread beast Microsoft. I fear for our ancestors if we do not.
The first step? Abandon openSUSE. They have been compromised, tainted and brainwashed beyond recovery. Best to put a bullet in their brain and save whatever honor is left in their history. Any among us who refuse to do so should follow the same fate.
Re:Prior art (Score:1, Interesting)
http://www.8bit-museum.de/docs/sinclair6r1.htm [8bit-museum.de]
That's a 1981 German version of a prior UK article. Interestingly it also claims that the PET has a similar graphics mode?
Re:Prior art (Score:3, Interesting)
This method of Artifacting is described in great detail in the Atari Archives [atariarchives.org].
Re:Prior art (Score:3, Interesting)
Microsoft can try to be SCO and build its business on the backs of lawyers, but it's not going to work, however much Bill G might dream of it.
People forget that IBM holds more patents on everything than anyone and is making billions off Linux - as well as having the best lawyers on the planet. If Microsoft tries such a thing, IBM will hand Bill his head.
Threats are threats only. It's only when you submit that you lose.
Re:Ubuntu failed on my laptop, OpenSuSE worked. (Score:2, Interesting)
In order for prior art to matter... (Score:3, Interesting)
1. It must be documented.
I present to you the Beagle Bros Big Tip Book for the Apple ][, by Bert Kersey, ISBN-10: 0553342800, ISBN-13: 9780553342802, Publisher: Bantam Books - 1986. (I forgot the page number, but it's in there, complete with how it works and an example program.)
As everyone knows, the Apple ][ graphics system was 128 pixels wide -- in color. But in monochrome, one could get 256 pixels wide. What the above book details is a way to get 512 pixels wide on any standard Apple ][ -- no 80-column adapter or 128KB necessary.
It's the exact same algorithm ClearType uses.
2. The parties must give a damn.
Novell just signed their soul away to Microsoft, demonstrating that they don't give a damn. This is just the first step in the suckyzation of Novell's free Linux offal^H^Herings. This sort of thing has been around for decades, so why hasn't anyone challenged the patent? Because nobody gives a crap, that's why. Everybody's using Fedora or Ubuntu if they're going free, anyway.