“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. Users like you, maybe,” Roger Parloff reports for Fortune.
“There’s a shadow hanging over Linux and other free software, and it’s being cast by Microsoft. The Redmond behemoth asserts that one reason free software is of such high quality is that it violates more than 200 of Microsoft’s patents. And as a mature company facing unfavorable market trends and fearsome competitors like Google, Microsoft is pulling no punches: It wants royalties. If the company gets its way, free software won’t be free anymore,” Parloff reports.
Parloff reports, “The conflict pits Microsoft and its dogged CEO, Steve Ballmer, against the ‘free world’ – people who believe software is pure knowledge.”
“Caught in the middle are big corporate Linux users like Wal-Mart, AIG, and Goldman Sachs. Free-worlders say that if Microsoft prevails, the whole quirky ecosystem that produced Linux and other free and open-source software (FOSS) will be undermined,” Parloff reports.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Microsoft is in a much shakier position than Ballmer, Gates, or large holders of MSFT would like anyone to believe. Contrary to popular belief, it can all come crashing down rather quickly; even as it’s being methodically dismantled today. It’s not only on this open source issue; Microsoft is being attacked on many fronts. Microsoft is lashing out in fear, yet again – like the big, stupid, cornered dinosaur that it is.
Those who think it’s Google, Google, Google, with a bit of Linux thrown in for good measure amuse us; ’tis Apple that Microsoft fears most – or should fear most (besides karma, of course), if they had adequate management that wasn’t blinded by hubris, headed by an uncouth used car salesman plucked by fate and random dorm assignment to front an immoral purveyor of global mediocrity, and therefore unable to accurately assess risk.
Yeh, if by patent ya’ mean CrRRrrRRrAAAAAaAAaAAp!
Am I wrong when I think this is good news for Apple?
I thought royalties are paid based on a percentage of what a product is sold for. Even if they had 100% royalties from Linux, doesn’t that mean they get 100% of nothing?
and how many patents of other companies is microsoft violating.
and does ms cares if it violates other companies patents, no. their attitude is let them sue ms and ms will grind them up with lawyer fees and court cost and drag their lawsuite out for decades.
Same strategy as the music player makers: If you can’t compete, sue!
As always see Groklaw for a reasoned perspective and comments on patent law and linux.
http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20070513234519615
“The Redmond behemoth asserts that one reason free software is of such high quality is that it violates more than 200 of Microsoft’s patents.”
Then why isn’t Microsoft’s own software of the same high quality???
How can Micro$oft recover…simply make something that works good. Quit making money and start making products. Quit being businessmen and start being innovators. Start knowing people so you can start knowing what people need.
Henri Witteveen, amen to that brotha!
If MS has tens of thousands of employees and cannot produce software that out competes free OSS competition though higher quality, what does that say about MS?
MS is truly the wastebin of technology where the lowest common denominator rules, and intelligent capable people are sucked in like a black hole and never come out again with anything worthwhile.. good ideas from people in MS enter some alternate dimention of pure beaurocratic grativy that sucks them in and crushes the life out of them til they have little resemblance to their original selves.
Only when products fail to generate any excitement whatsoever, and are completely bland and tasteless and lacking in any sense of style, consistancy or elegance are they allowed to ship with an MS branded logo.
Microsoft’s next move.
Claim that “Free” is bad for the economy, anti-capitalism, supports terrorism and therefore should be made illegal.
Looks like the SCO maneuver didn’t pan out, and Big Brown has to start working without proxies.
Great link Gandalf. Thanks.
Thanks for the link, Gandalf
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Doubtful that infringements are to make anything BETTER.
They’re just to make things WORK with the (illegal monopoly) purveyer of Windows software.
MS would rather nothing at all competed with Windows.
Wait till Ballmer’s uncle will get the Zune and the first social network will get functional. First squirted song: “For whom the bell tolls”.
And: starting from now, no more double-clicks, MS holds the patent for this innovation.
I remember a story involving a particular dispute between Microsoft and IBM. In one critical meeting, IBM’s lawyers opened a large folder of patents that Microsoft appeared to be violating. Microsoft was a lot more accomodating after that.
Microsoft doesn’t have much of a leg to stand on. It has a history of stealing the works of others, then quietly settling for lots of money to make the matters go away. And many of its patents are of a questionable nature.
In the early 80’s Bill Gates used to appear on stage with other minor players of the budding computer business, like Kapor or Norton. The world will be better when Microsoft becomes just another “bit player”, like they were meant to be.
I’d really like to see some people step up to the plate and give MS a huge black eye over this one. MS is truly afraid of OSS, I would like to see them get bloodied up over this and run out of court limping.
Of course the army of MS patent lawyers would make my dream hard to see through to reality, but I can always dream! At the very least if WalMart and a number of other big players are facing this issue there definitely could be some money on the table for someone who wanted to really take the fight to MS.
Henri Witteveen…
Darn straight!
How MSFT can make this claim with a straight face when they know that they stole the BSD network stack for Windows 2000 and Windows XP beggars belief.
But like SCO’s claims from several years ago, here’s a challenge…
PROVE IT
If MSFT genuinely believes its IP is being violated, it should prove it in a court of law and we can all share in the wonder of how MSFT is being victimised by the FOSS movement. Heck, give me some time to finish my current project and I’ll get myself a big bag of popcorn and turn up every day at the trial.
This is FUD, pure and simple. Don’t invest in Linux, because we’ll come after you for secondary licensing fees. Don’t invest in Linux because it might not be around after we’ve finished with it in court.
SCO all over again. Whatever happened to them? Wasn’t Microsoft backing there stupidity as well?
If MS is successful in destroying LINUX, there could be secondary damage to MS in the form of a backlash that could do more damage to MS than LINUX itself. Potentially some laws changing how patents work, esp coming from monopolies.
Case in point. Say MS has patents covering how their office documents work, but because those documents are now industry standard, if LINUX wants to be able to interoperate with them they have to potentially violate MS patents so they can be compatible. If MS succeeds in suing LINUX for being compatible, there could be changes in laws that require MS to open its patents that involve interoperability because of its monopoly position, and MS could end up losing control of its own formats.
It can’t happen you say? Well, lets just see MS win this round against LINUX and see where all the fallout lands.
“Microsoft is being attacked on many fronts. Microsoft is lashing out in fear, yet again – like the big, stupid dinosaur that it is.”
So once again we see a demonstration that evolution is not simply survival of the fittest. Being the biggest and baddest in the forest in no way assures survival.
MDN says, “Those who think it’s Google, Google, Google, with a bit of Linux thrown in for good measure amuse us; ’tis Apple that Microsoft fears most …” Yes, and I have mixed feelings about the fact that the article does not mention Apple.
@aCe, I love this possibility, that would/could be the ultimate harbinger of the power-mongering insanity that MS has become.
And in conclusion: Ah yes, corporate fascism – Kind of makes me have to choke down my coffee first thing on a Monday morning, but, there you have it. But of course, as we slowly but surely put MS in its place, let us not forget who’s really responsible for willing handing the keys to our collective souls over to it [MS] – yes that would be you and me I’m talking about. Moral of story, let’s not ever let this happen again as long as there is a free America to buy, sell and trade in. IBM was enough, MS is – is, … Well, I can’t find adjectives adequate to the task. But by now I hope its needless to say that, its up to the consumer to never ever believe that there’s just one way to do things. Have we learned our lesson? Hmmm?
“…headed by an uncouth used car salesman plucked by fate and random dorm assignment to front an immoral purveyor of global mediocrity, and therefore unable to accurately assess risk.”
MDN, that is one of the best things that I have ever read! LOL
In other news, Microsoft claims that free software causes glogal warming and violates gay rights.
See what happens when you use Microsoft spell checker? And the earth just went up another degree due to open source glgal warming…damn….the MS speel checquer strikes agin.
“The Redmond behemoth asserts that one reason free software is of such high quality is that it violates more than 200 of Microsoft’s patents.”
<spit take> Where are my screen wipes?