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163 Comments
- Petronski, on 10/12/2007, -11/+100He won't sue. He'll just throw a ***** chair at them and do an absurd mouth-breathing gorilla-anger dance.
- Vogateer, on 10/12/2007, -4/+36Here's another take:
Business people look at Linux as an alternative to Windows. Microsoft, not too fond of losing customers and money, and typically possessing far better business strategy than code, decides to spread the usual FUD to make any business owner afraid that Linux companies will get sued. If the Linux company gets sued, will they be able to provide proper support? Will we switch to Linux, only to be stuck with an operating system that is found to be illegal, and be forced to switch again? Business owner is afraid to choose Linux, Microsoft is happy, and Ballmer looks for more ways to spread more FUD.
Much like the SCO thing, people would be more than happy to jump in and replace the offending code, people like me who can't code but like Linux will donate and do what we can for the effort, and the world keeps spinning 'round. - yoshu, on 10/12/2007, -3/+33I think I will start worrying about this when I see some actual lawsuits filed. But when that happens I probably still won't be worried. If M$ does sue, and actually wins, I would be amazed, but I don't think I'll be worried either. Linux is just too big and flexible to be stopped. If it was just one company, yes they would probably already be out of business or a M$ subsidiary by now, but it's not.
- Furiou5, on 10/12/2007, -3/+30"In an interview with Forbes, Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer stops short of announcing patent litigation against Linux:"
kind of a stretch, and i pray it never happens. - forgetfulca, on 10/12/2007, -2/+25I think I will start worrying about this when I see the last *nix websites disappear from the web.
A long time ago, something called the Halloween Documents (iirc) warned microsoft that they'd have a hard time fighting the phenomenon called linux. (and I use linux to include all the various flavors, as well as the tools/programs that come with each disty.) They meant that the embrace/extend/extinguish approach wouldn't work, and the reason it wouldn't is that linux is too diverse.
Who on earth would MS take to court? 300 million developers worldwide? I mean, I know the *AA are trying to litigate everyone to death (to the eternal joy of lawyers everywhere, I'm sure) but does anyone seriously think you can quash a grassroots, made from scratch thing such as this? It's fud, even if Ballmer MEANT to imply it. - JimXugle, on 10/12/2007, -5/+27Screw Microsoft. We have something they dont... Millions of Geeks around the world who can power their attack helicopters with Linux.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -8/+29News Flash!!
You can't USE a patent against Linux.
The Linux community will just code around any patent you have. Simple as that.
Plus, there is no "Linux" company, person, or entity that you could sue anyway... Sure, you could go after RedHat, you could go over IBM(haha good look with that army of lawers) but thats only one distribution control point out of hundreds or thousands.
I say BRING IT ON, the publicity did wonders for SCO's stock(hint: 20-0 in a few months) lets see what it does to the Microsoft stock price too :) - fyngyrz, on 10/12/2007, -6/+25I expect linux would just sliiiiide underground. After all, it doesn't have to make a profit. We can copy our linux disks and distribute them all we want, and no one will be the wiser. And in the process, we can make Microsoft subject to the same kind of hate that the youth of today direct towards the RIAA.
I really don't think this would be a very smart move on the part of Microsoft. Oh, wait. That means they'll probably do it... - clevershark, on 10/12/2007, -7/+24Steve Ballmer is an ugly, ugly pustule on the posterior of information technology.
- jmccorm, on 10/12/2007, -2/+15If Microsoft does this, actually, it'll be a good thing. This is exactly the push we need to get some patent law reform done.
- prockcore, on 10/12/2007, -3/+16I doubt it'll happen. Microsoft doesn't really want a bunch of IBM suits showing up at their door with a big list of patent violations.. which is exactly what will happen if MS goes after Linux.
- Vogateer, on 10/12/2007, -4/+16Oh yeah, also notice that Ballmer is merely spreading hearsay, with something straight out of bad journalism: "Other people are saying such and such." By phrasing it this way, he can suggest something and try to make it stick in people's heads, without actually being held responsible for having said it. If he actually said "Linux is infringing on our patents," he might have to back it up. He doesn't, because he doesn't want to back it up.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -3/+14> I say BRING IT ON
fscking A! You can not fight that which does not exist!
Now here's the real deal: Microsoft isn't afraid of Linux; Microsoft is afraid of companies that can market and sell Linux in the kind of volumes that will displace Microsoft operating systems from being the *CLEAR* market leader. Microsoft is afraid of losing access to companies that have annual IT CAP-EX budgets in 7, 8 and 9 figure ranges. Microsoft is afraid of companies like Novell, IBM, Red Hat, etc. and Microsoft will insure, by any means necessary, that these companies are not able to compete (or that if they are able to compete, their gains will fall to Microsoft). There is a real threat from Microsoft patent infringement law suits against companies selling Linux based solutions and the thing that should scare the living ***** out of anyone selling Linux solutions is that a template for infringement becomes established. Here's the scenario: Microsoft decides that too much of their enterprise level operating systems sales are falling to Linux based solutions and Microsoft decides to sue a vendor to make a point and establish president for their patent portfolio and rather than pick on a company that can defend itself, Microsoft sues a medium sized company selling Linux based solutions (small companies would just fold and settle, which isn't what Microsoft wants) and once a portfolio of infringement precedence has been established, Microsoft would then eat its way up and down the Linux solution food chain. That was SCO's biggest mistake (besides being wrong and filing a frivolous law suite): they sued the biggest motherfscker they could. Essentially SCO was being set up for failure with the primary goal of harassing the competition and buying Microsoft some time with the outside chance that they might actually win (believe it or not, the US justice system is largely a crap shoot).
A Microsoft patent victory over "Linux" doesn't mean Linux would magically disappear off the face of the earth (that can never happen at this point in time)... it simply means that companies won't be able to compete with Microsoft using Linux based solutions.
In short, a Microsoft intellectual property / patent defense law suit against one of the large vendors selling Linux as a solution that competes with Microsoft products is almost guaranteed to happen in the near future... and when it does, you can be assured the Linux is ready for the desktop. - Elranzer, on 10/12/2007, -6/+171. Microsoft doesn't view Apple as a threat
2. Microsoft was caught stealing patented code from Apple before (hence Microsoft buying lots of Apple stock in 1997) - aeiou, on 10/12/2007, -4/+15Arg, I am really tired of this. Microsoft has no money in apple anymore. The only reason both sides don't sue the other is that they know that if they sue, the other side will just counter sue with something that that side has done.
- tempusrob, on 10/12/2007, -2/+13"If M$ does sue, and actually wins, I would be amazed"
They don't have to win. Look at the SCO case. Crock of ***** that it is, it's enough to put PHB's in a tizzy about Linux adoption. A MS suit would only multiply that. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -4/+13go ahead microsoft, it'll only hurt you more
- tonyspencer, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10Well, not exactly the double-click, as Apple was using that way before MS.
From: http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3364101
>>Most experts agreed that, despite the use of the word "double-click" in the abstract, this is not, in fact, a patent on the double-click.
"You can ascertain that just by reading the patent, which evidently a bunch of folks have not bothered to do," said Jupiter Research analyst Michael Gartenberg. "On most handheld devices, if you want to activate a second function, you have to activate a control or function key. And the Microsoft patent is using time intervals or pressing it several times to change the behavior of the key." - Sabot, on 10/12/2007, -7/+16I think Steve Ballmer represents Microsoft perfectly. He stands for everything that Microsoft is about and the image that he projects is right on target. What a sad world we live in. I can't wait for the revolution that is going to come.
- xedeon, on 10/12/2007, -10/+18Ohh man I frickin HATE Steve Ballmer!! I seriously think he is the one who is effing up Microsoft the guy is not even a real geek!! he may be smart but all he think about is how to make MONEY!! he does not care about home consumers and INNOVATION, and Bills Gates should fire him and take complete control geez.. He is the one who came up with the Vista multiple SKU's (editions)
Thank god I switched to a Mac! now I don't have to deal with his crap.. - NicP, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8"How can you expect a business to not have their #1 priority to be money? And how can you hate them for this?"
The problem is once a company starts putting all their effort into maxamising profits with complete disrespect for their customers, the customers become hostile, seek alternatives, and the money starts to dry up.
Managing a company is not just about making the most money, it about presenting the company and its products in a positive light, showing the compay has room for growth for the shareholders. Good public relations now leads to more money down the track later. - flamingmb, on 10/12/2007, -4/+12what idiots. trying to control something they have no control over, and its good they dont.
- jeffgtr, on 10/12/2007, -4/+12A drowning man, flailing away, grasping at straws to stay afloat. This interview wreaks of desperation.
- cazbar, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9This won't happen. The reality of the flaws in the patent system will prevent this. Microsoft holds patents that IBM and Novell currently violate. IBM holds patents that Microsoft and Novell currently violate. Novell holds patents that Microsoft and IBM currently violate. And I'm not even going into what patents other companies hold. If any of them sued the others over patent violations they would all suddenly owe each other billions of dollars. The only people who would win are the lawyers.
In some ways I wish this would happen as it would probably get congress to focus some attention on our screwed up patent office. - edenlover, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9"First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win." - Mohandas Gandhi
Evidently, we're getting close to winning. - cyrix, on 10/12/2007, -4/+11Well...they'll say it's justified and get the majority of America to rally behind them if they do and fight off another red scare.
Because you know "Linux is communism." - gwjc, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9Groundless threats of litigation; cool, that sounds like the desperate last thrashes of a dying giant.
- kimastergeorge, on 10/12/2007, -5/+11Actually, Microsoft has patented the double-click, and other generic features that don't require just a code change, but an entire change of the way it works.
- drizek, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9Thats true, but MS cant survive without geeks.
All this crap does is just hurt their image in fornt of their own supporters. - Flankk, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9Microsoft can, in fact, claim intellectual property violation against Linux. Though the community is vast and distributed, don't think for a second this makes Linux invincible from targeted, strategic lawsuits.
One approach would be to claim the gnome task switcher violates Microsoft patents and is too similar to the Windows task switcher, etc. Strikes specifically against Red Hat and Novell would hurt the community significantly.
I agree that there will always be forks and workarounds. However, using the previous example, imagine the Gnome project is forced to remove these features from Gnome. Fair enough, it'll just be removed in the next release. Also, every previous release of Gnome will be forced to be taken down, in every distribution, including all support. This is just one example. - chadseld, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8His company can't ship Vista. But it can still unleash the lawyers. Lame way to hold back competition, but hey, Ballmer's karma is already down the tubes.
- drizek, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8I found out about Linux after reading an interview with torvalds about the SCO case.
Any publicity is good publicity... - olicat, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7@kcorax - not heard of ogg vorbis, then?
- johnhummel, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7Wouldn't work.
Sun, IBM, and Novell have all "donated" patents to the Linux cause over the last few years. Why? Self defense. Should MS start this patent wars game, those three companies have just as many patents they coudl fire back against Microsoft. They've done it on purpose as a failsafe - MS can only do it if they want to commit legal suicide.
Combine that with the monopoly committee going "Exqueeze me - but what?", and it would be over soon. Remember how MS's little undercovers have been supporting the SCO lawsuit (see financial transactions from MS individuals startup money to the major group investing in SCO), and how far that has gotten.
It's just stuff for the stockholders on why they shouldn't worry about Vista being so late (again) while Apple goes from 4 to 5 percent, and server market getting gains from Linux. - MalDON, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7Yea, this is only because they are realizing that Open source directly threatens them. And as more people find out that you can get an operating system for free...
- babbling, on 10/12/2007, -12/+17Microsoft own a large portion of Apple.
- dasunst3r, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Linux is everywhere -- from servers to PDAs, from routers on the ground to airplanes in the air. To suppress something like this would mean very extreme implications for the infrastructure we live in today.
- eclectro, on 10/12/2007, -5/+10Wouldn't they sue Apple first? They are a bigger target and use a lot of the same technology as Linux.
- ZachPruckowski, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6I think they'll move sooner than you suggest. MS is worried that Windows will go the way of IE - still the largest player by far, but not big enough that it's the only main consideration. Look at IE now with Firefox/Safari/Opera. IE has enough hold to be the largest browser by far (like 80% or something), but FF is large enough that people feel like they have to take it into consideration when doing stuff, causing a decline in the number of IE-only websites. If this happens with computer programs, and Linux and OS X get more apps ported or written natively, then Windows loses it's main advantage, just as IE mostly lost the big advantage of IE-only sites.
- firehydra2k, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6Not telling me anything.
"Well, I think there are experts who claim Linux violates our intellectual property. I’m not going to comment. But to the degree that that’s the case, of course we owe it to our shareholders to have a strategy. And when there is something interesting to say, you’ll be the first to hear it."
Yeah, "not gonna comment." I'd like to see their master plans.
Microsoft is entering a new phase of marketing where they are fighting against free software. If they can't assimilate to the new phase, then they're probably gonna go down in about a couple decades. - bigkm, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Most systems use fat, almost all mp3 players, every thumb drive out there would be pretty much be using fat.
the only fat disk i have at home is a usb key - VaKo, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7Isn't sueing Linux kinda like having a fist fight with smoke?
- alexandreracine, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Well, these are US patent, so since I don't live there, I am ok :)
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4ACTUALLY its only the FAT32 extensions on top of FAT I believe. The older fat is public and not encumbered by these patents.
- xagoln, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Ironcially, doing a Netcraft search of the domain microsoft.com shows they have literally hundreds of boxes running Linux (they're wireless routers, for the record):
http://searchdns.netcraft.com/?host=microsoft.com&position=limited&lookup=Wait.. - GuineaPig, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5[1] IBM legal would have Microsoft for a snack. They were defending the largest patent portfolio on earth when Steveareno was still in diapers.
[2] Convicted monopolists don't get to wipe out their main competition. - TheNik, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7This could be really funny. :D
- mythz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I think Microsoft would care more about corporate customers choosing Linux and Opensource databases rather than hackers using Linux for their own personal use.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5i think MS watched the SCo case very closely, hence the comment "we have a strategy". they clearly have already made plans and have a time line for when things are going to happen.
i think they will definitely start suing end users SCO style, they will go after large EX customers first in an attempt to strong arm them into coming back into the fold, hoping to scare others from attempting to leave.
this will all happen once MS loses a large enough market share, and i suspect it will happen when companys like dell sell pre installed linux in a major way.
MS would have watched SCO's mistake of taking on IBM, and learned not to get into david vs goliath litigation. they will sue people who are unable to fight back. it will go hand in hand with a smear campaign. - xagoln, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Governments, councils, and increasingly the US military are switching to Linux. I find it hard to believe that they can stop it now with a patent or two.
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