pcw.co.uk — Torvalds, the leader of the project to create the Linux kernel, was contemptuous of Microsoft's claims and has asked Redmond to name the infringements so that their veracity can be challenged and workarounds found.
May 18, 2007 View in Crawl 4
paniqueMay 18, 2007
The real part of the story is here:"Torvalds added that Microsoft might have patent problems of its own if the company was to expose its software to public scrutiny in the same way as Linux.He said that operating system procedures have not changed much since the 1960s, and many companies, including IBM, have patents of which Microsoft could well find itself in breach."Perhaps when they're all done with SCO, IBM can focus their attention on Microsoft. It would be the ultimate revenge for them.
fingersmckenzieMay 18, 2007
I'll give you credit for wasting your time finding those, but why did you even bother? Personally, I can't be arsed to go through all 5930 'stolen' patents...Besides, the 'average' digger wouldn't care less for patents...let alone comprehend them
cziryakMay 19, 2007
@FingersMckenzieI bothered because I was bored (at that particular moment) and I wondered if the Patent Office had made patents freely available for viewing. After seeing they did, I thought someone may have find it useful or interesting. Even if I was the only one that found the information interesting, I don't believe it was a waste of my time since I only spent 3 minutes on it. I had trouble with the search filters.@alphaunityI may have inadvertedly left the Washington state filter on. I don't feel like running it again to get an accurate number. I'm sure there's more.
jayweeMay 19, 2007
you are really a funny guy !!
masterdwarfMay 19, 2007
So what's the deal? Did MS develop something in Vista and have that in place before the newest Linux kernel was released? OR, Linux has been out for some time and so has Windows, so what patents are in question, in exactly what software/OS? They have never known until now??!! *confused*/sarcasmfurther proof that MS really are idiots, OR, they really are idiots.
unl1m1t3dMay 19, 2007
@borninda88 "free open source ones out there aren't the same as the window's programs they try to imitate"Your right the free open source ones are better sometimes."WINE is a bitch to use and that other one isn't free."Actually Wine is getting significantly better with every single release, so much to the point where most simple programs run without a hitch. The "other" one you speak of, assuming you meant Cadega is mostly meant for gaming anyways, and is actually very inexpensive. Sounds like you are full of FUD.
Closed AccountMay 19, 2007
Last I checked, Ballmer was a playa in college...Atleast thats what Pirates of Silicon Valley told me.
chasbaderMay 19, 2007
The United States Patent System was created to protect inventors. What has Microsoft really invented? Let's take a look:1. BASIC? Original 1965, MSFT 1975.2. The GUI? Alan Kay/PARC 1969, MSFT 19853. Excel? VisiCalc 1978, MSFT 19854. Networking? MSFT had NetBeui, LANMAN, NTLM, IPX, SPX etc. What do we use today? TCP/IP DARPA ~ 19735. Browser? Tim Berners-Lee 1990 MSFT: even in 1995 Bill Gates dismissed the WWW as a passing fad, 6. Integrated compile/link/run? Thank Borland for giving us an alternative to MSFT's 4 step monotony with Turbo Pascal in 1983. Microsoft didn't even try to compete and dropped Pascal altogether.7. Word Processor? IBM late 60's, MSFT Word 19838. MS-DOS MSFT purchased from Seattle Computer Products in 1981, who used CP/M as a model.9. Multi-User OS? IBM 360 in 1964, Unix 1973, NT 199310. Tabbed Browsing? Interworks 1994, IE7 200611. Disc Compression? Stac Electronics 1990, MSFT 1993. Lawsuit on this one.12. Operating System? Bill Gates and Paul Allen learned a lot from digging through DEC's dumpster, that for sure. I guess open source was "ok" back then.Microsoft has invented very little. What they have done is come up with custom implementations of other people's inventions in an effort to prevent commoditization. Custom file systems, file formats, GUI layouts, key combinations and network protocols are all examples. Linux has attempted to provide users with a way to import these commodity busters into a more open format. If MSFT pulls the patent card, the users will have choice but to ditch the .DOCs, .ASF's, .XLS's and switch to .ODF, .PDF, .SVG and .PNG. Would you cry if you could no longer connect to a NetBEUI?