Linux: Microsoft wants royalties from distributors and users

[Virtual Coder]

The long awaited war begins: Microsoft claims that free software like Linux, which runs a big chunk of corporate America, violates 235 of its patents. It wants royalties from distributors and users.[^]

[David Wulff]

The conflict pits Microsoft and its dogged CEO, Steve Ballmer, against the "free world" - people who believe software is pure knowledge. The leader of that faction is Richard Matthew Stallman, a computer visionary with the look and the intransigence of an Old Testament prophet.

:rolleyes: The rest of the article was very interesting though.

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Ðavid Wulff What kind of music should programmers listen to?
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[Sebastian Schneider]

It's a cold war. They claim it to make Linux less attractive for potential users, but I am pretty sure that they won't sue the FSF, Linus Torvalds or any major Linux distributor, because they would be sued in retaliation, using similar patents for all the nice elements that Microsoft copied reinvented from other software. Microsoft is not stupid :) (Actually, they continue to impress me. Excellent approach, this one.)

Cheers, Sebastian -- "If it was two men, the non-driver would have challenged the driver to simply crash through the gates. The macho image thing, you know." - Marc Clifton

[Lost User]

Wait until the OSS companies and developers who have patents start demanding royalties from Microsoft... Err... where is SCO? :rolleyes:

The tigress is here :-D

[jlwarlow]

Oh great. Next they'll be after royalties from the new Mac's because they now run on Intel!

Never argue with an imbecile; they bring you down to their level, and beat you with experience.

[soap brain]

Oh, damn you Microsoft! *shakes fist angrily*

By Ravel: and then the whining school-boy, with his satchel and shining morning face, creeping like snail unwillingly to school.

[andre_swnpl]

You get my 5 for that one. :-D:-D

[WillemM]

Just like any other software company these days. :sigh: I tihnk it's a bit low to do that. Microsoft should make good software, not just kill other companies and preach Microsoft software is the best.

WM. What about weapons of mass-construction? "What? Its an Apple MacBook Pro. They are sexy!" - Paul Watson

[Shog9 0]

Well, there's a good laugh for the folks who thought MS could compete on the quality of their software... :rolleyes:

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i hope you are feeling sleepy for people not calling you by the same.

--BarnaKol on abusive words