Microsoft's Absolute Greed

G

Guest

Microsoft's licence threat to Linux
Daisuke Wakabayashi and Jim Finkle
MAY 16, 2007

MICROSOFT has made its biggest challenge against open-source software,
including Windows rival Linux, claiming that such programs violate 235
Microsoft patents and saying it will seek licence fees.

The world's largest software maker said that various open-source packages
violate patents it holds in areas related to graphical user interface, email
programs and other technology.
"The real question is not whether there exist substantial patent
infringement issues, but what to do about them," Microsoft vice president of
intellectual property and licensing Horacio Gutierrez said in a statement.

Microsoft sent the statement to reporters via email, detailing a stance that
it disclosed in an article that appeared in Fortune Magazine.

Linux is the most popular type of open-source software, or computer programs
that developers can download and modify as long as they share those changes
with the public. The packages, which are often available for free, have
gained in popularity over the past decade, taking market share away from
Microsoft.

ADVERTISEMENT







While dozens of versions of the Linux operating system are available for
free download, Red Hat and Novell develop and sell versions of Linux used to
run servers and mainframe computers in corporate data centres.

Last year, Microsoft signed a marketing, technology and patent agreement
with Novell, saying it wanted to enter into similar pacts with other
open-source software companies.

That agreement, which includes a clause that Microsoft will not sue Novell's
Linux customers, incensed the community of open-source software developers,
because they said Microsoft would use it to back claims that its intellectual
property is being violated by code in Linux and other open source software.

Eben Moglen, founding director of the Software Freedom Law Centre, called on
Microsoft to disclose the patent numbers of the 235 patents it believes are
being infringed upon so that the free software community can evaluate its
claims.

"They should name their patents," Mr Moglen said. "They should put up or
shut up."

The Software Freedom Law Centre is a non-profit legal services organisation
that provides free legal aid to developers of open-source software.

Red Hat officials couldn't be reached for comment.

Novell chief executive and president Ronald Hovsepian said Linux did not
infringe on any patents. He told the Reuters Global Technology, Media and
Telecoms Summit in New York on Tuesday that the deal with Microsoft was
focused on not suing each other's customers.

Novell had not endorsed Microsoft's patent claims, he said. "We just both
agreed to disagree," he said.

In its statement on the issue, Microsoft played up its partnership with
Novell, saying that customers worried about intellectual property claims
should buy their Linux software from Novell.

Reuters
 
F

Frank

Mick said:
Microsoft's licence threat to Linux
Daisuke Wakabayashi and Jim Finkle
MAY 16, 2007

MICROSOFT has made its biggest challenge against open-source software,
including Windows rival Linux, claiming that such programs violate 235
Microsoft patents and saying it will seek licence fees.


Good idea! Make the freeloading bastards pay!


"They should name their patents," Mr Moglen said. "They should put up or
shut up."


I'm sure they will. The courts will then sort out who's right and who's
wrong.

Frank
 
B

Bill Yanaire

So are you the newly appointed news poster?

When I want to read news about MicroSquish, I go to selected web sites and
read it.

YAWN
 
A

Adam Albright

Good idea! Make the freeloading bastards pay!


"They should name their patents," Mr Moglen said. "They should put up or
shut up."


I'm sure they will. The courts will then sort out who's right and who's
wrong.

So funny coming from Microsoft who GUI for Windows is based on Apple
and they copied Lotus 1-2-3 and made it Excel, then copied Word
Perfect and made it Word. There there was their browser who was copied
from Netscape.

Microsoft doesn't know how to create ORIGINAL software. They just copy
somebody else's ideas or buy them out.
 
J

Julie Smith

And OpenOffice stole from Microsoft Office? Give it a break... its called
business. And they're dealing in patents. A word processor is a word
processor... But if it has some special feature, then you can patent that
feature. The only reason why linux doesn't go around firing its guns is
because I dont think they could afford a lawyer.

And do you think software is the only industry that does this? Software is
all you hear about because the internet is about software. The company I
work for developed a agriculture plow that infringed a patent from another
company... Do you think they let it go? Why should they? They developed if
first. But a plow is a plow, a feature on the plow was in dispute...

Think about it... Not that it matters, no body will listen and the linux
people will continue to complain.

MS spends millions, if not billions, on idea generation (ribbon bar in
Office2007 as an example of one of these). And watch, everyone will start
doing it because it was so successful.

Lets all remember what a business is, an organisation who's goal is to give
a return on investements back to its owners/shareholders. People don't work
for free.

Back on topic tho, microsoft needs some money to pay off that 1.6bil mp3
patent case dont they?
 
R

Richard Urban

Do you have a problem with your Vista install we can help you with?

No, you don't use Vista.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!
 
R

Rich

When I want to read news about MicroSquish, I go to selected web sites and


That is whay they call it selective morality.
Cherry pick your indignation.


Rich
 
G

Guest

Urban, you are just a clown! I run XP and vista on seperate machines,
networked. AND I have a business building and repairing computers which are
installed with Microsoft products.
Just because someone is critical of a product or a business approach, you
piss yourself.
Get off your high horse, and live in the real world; instead of living in
Bill's shadow, and living of the crumbs from his Apple peelings
 
L

Lang Murphy

Adam Albright said:
So funny coming from Microsoft who GUI for Windows is based on Apple
and they copied Lotus 1-2-3 and made it Excel, then copied Word
Perfect and made it Word. There there was their browser who was copied
from Netscape.

Microsoft doesn't know how to create ORIGINAL software. They just copy
somebody else's ideas or buy them out.


Apple's GUI was "borrowed" from Xerox. Everyone knows that. So?

Lang
 
G

Guest

Where are you now, big mouth?
Or did they start making you take your medication again, you naught boy!
You will get better, and they will let you out one day! MAYBE!
 
J

Julian

Lang Murphy said:
Apple's GUI was "borrowed" from Xerox. Everyone knows that. So?

Yes, the idea that there is anything new or original extremely naive.
There is nothing new under the sun. Everything is built upon the past.

I wonder whether Adam is a sickening hypocrite or his computer really
has a case, motherboard, drives, cpu, memory, key board, mouse, screen etc.
manufactured by the same company?

I suppose such creatures as Adam really believe that Apple
don't buy in components. What a wally!
 
R

Rich

Microsoft doesn't know how to create ORIGINAL software. They just copy
somebody else's ideas or buy them out.

Which is how Apple got the idea for the Mac's GUI from Xerox PARC


Amazing isn't it?


Hang onto that meme tight, take it to bed at night, it'll keep you safe to
live yet another day when you wake up wound so tight in the hopes that you
can step out to fight the good fight.
 
R

Rich

And OpenOffice stole from Microsoft Office? Give it a break... its called

Julie,

If he gave it a break, what would be left?

The Apple OS, Linux?

This stuff, his stuff, stuff that never rests is ... well the stuff of life
to an OSist.
Like those Macy's Thanksgiving day parade balloons, BIGGER than life for a
moment but once the hot air is let out, what's left? just a 2 dimensional
sad face trying to make everyone else feel as crummy as he does about his OS
:)

Kinda makes you smile doesn't it?


But no harm in placing your opinion along side his, you never know ...


Rich
 
G

GeraldF

Apple's GUI was "borrowed" from Xerox. Everyone knows that. So?

Lang
Not true. It was frankly stolen. The entire Apple interface changed
after Jobs visited Xerox in Palo Alto. This came out in Apple's suit
against MicroSoft. When the evidence was presented the jurors were
stunned.

I wish companies would stop suing and get on with developing good
software. Microsoft needs to focus energies on software developent or it
will start losing market share. In a recent discussion with an
educational software developer he described how his group was swithcing
to Apple's "Keynote" which is easier and more "user friendly" than
"Powerpoint". As an example to attach a sound file to a "Keynote"
presentation slide takes one keystroke, in Powerpoint it takes 4.
 
L

Lang Murphy

Julian said:
Yes, the idea that there is anything new or original extremely naive.
There is nothing new under the sun. Everything is built upon the past.

I wonder whether Adam is a sickening hypocrite or his computer really
has a case, motherboard, drives, cpu, memory, key board, mouse, screen
etc.
manufactured by the same company?

I suppose such creatures as Adam really believe that Apple
don't buy in components. What a wally!


Well... sometimes there -are- new things... like Xerox's UI. THAT was "new."
Everything that's followed is, hmm..., not new? Personally, I could give a
flying fart if MS copies UI elements from Mac's OS. So what? BMW busted out
that butt ugly, imho, trunk a few years ago and now Toyota's have it too. So
what? A car's a car. An OS is an OS. I like Mac's... would love to be able
to afford one. Can no do. So... it's PC Land for me. And in PC Land, I've
found Windows to be the best fit for me.

Lang
 
L

Lang Murphy

GeraldF said:
Not true. It was frankly stolen. The entire Apple interface changed
after Jobs visited Xerox in Palo Alto. This came out in Apple's suit
against MicroSoft. When the evidence was presented the jurors were
stunned.

I wish companies would stop suing and get on with developing good
software. Microsoft needs to focus energies on software developent or it
will start losing market share. In a recent discussion with an
educational software developer he described how his group was swithcing
to Apple's "Keynote" which is easier and more "user friendly" than
"Powerpoint". As an example to attach a sound file to a "Keynote"
presentation slide takes one keystroke, in Powerpoint it takes 4.


Well... I was being polite when I said it was "borrowed." As to the
difference between 4 keystrokes and one keystroke... yeah, don't know about
that... not a big PP user. Are we looking for the zero keystroke app? Are
there functions in PP that take less keystrokes than "Keynote?" No clue. But
curious.

Lang
 
J

Julian

Lang Murphy said:
Well... sometimes there -are- new things... like Xerox's UI. THAT was
"new." Everything that's followed is, hmm..., not new? Personally, I could
give a flying fart if MS copies UI elements from Mac's OS. So what? BMW
busted out that butt ugly, imho, trunk a few years ago and now Toyota's
have it too. So what? A car's a car. An OS is an OS. I like Mac's... would
love to be able to afford one. Can no do. So... it's PC Land for me. And
in PC Land, I've found Windows to be the best fit for me.

Me too.

BTW even the Xerox UI didn't spring out of nowhere but was
a just another step along the road of making computers
useable. Just like the keyboard was a step up from
plugs and switches.
 

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

Ask a Question

Top