our newest Ally ...Microsoft?

[deanlinkous]

Protection for Novell concerning MS IP. Why does it need protection? Is MS about to drop the MONO IP bomb?

Novell can now use MS IP within the product and nobody else can. Sounds like all the GPL goodness will be leaving suse and become a closed product now.

I might be stretching it some....

[bigtomrodney]

I don't think you're too far off the mark there Deanlinkous. Novell know that there are things that can be questioned in court. Much like SCO they don't have to have substance, just cast doubt. Novell know this and it is only a matter of time before Microsoft drop that bomb so the clever thing to do is get some insulation.

I think the real target here is Red Hat, but that's just my opinion.

[deanlinkous]

Yea, I heard a lot less about inter-operate and a LOT MORE about patents, IP and protection so I stand by my statement.

Yep I think MS is peddling the same idea of "protection"that SCO tried peddling!

I think this is part MS trying to look good in the eyes of its corporate customers who want to use some linux and at the same time it sounds like a threat that any other linux usage risks IP issues.

I think it may be the opening shot of the IP/PATENT battle and Novell bought a repreive.

[smolloy]

I'm not sure if they will be able to make suse a closed product -- remember most of it comes with a GPL license that can't be shaken off.

I could imagine MS starting to defend what they think of as their intellectual property, but I don't think they will since that might just open them up to the same sort of litigation.

Although it's interesting to think that this might sort out their anti-trust woes, since they are now proudly supporting an alternative OS.

(I realise that I just contradicted myself three or four times, but that's fine by me )

[a12ctic]

sounds like novell is gona get screwed over, microsoft must need some patents or something.

[deanlinkous]

Great for suse if MS can now ramp up the heat and convince companies not to worry about SCO and the IP fiasco but instead worry about the powerhouse MS and their patents and IP. I noticed they worked in that MS owns one of the largest if not THE largest patent collection.

I think you could play that video in reverse you will hear ballmer repeating "patents, IP and protection, if you want to run linux then pay us by paying novell or else"

[pgp_protector]

Idea for why there doing this

Money.

How...

Replace Windows OS (most people only update / replace this once every few years) with a "Free / Low cost Winlux system)
Bump the price of there non OS systems, but make it more compatible with Linux and Winlux.

If Winlux looks like windows, people will convert without major issues.
The OS community (IF "winlux" is OS) will provide the support & bug fixes, and it will be more secure.
They'll still have all the other software they sell that will work on winlux, (and other version of Linux if it's got the patches applied)

Microsoft will move from an OS company to a Software / gaming company.

[deanlinkous]

They even named EXACTLY where the threats are directed...

http://www.novell.com/linux/microsoft/openletter.html

* Under the patent agreement, customers will receive coverage for Mono, Samba, and OpenOffice as well as .NET and Windows Server.
* All of these technologies will be improved upon during the 5 years of the agreement and there are some limits on the coverage that would be provided for future technologies added to these offerings.

[smolloy]

From the website deanlinkous linked to,

More importantly, Microsoft announced today that it will not assert its patents against individual, non-commercial developers.

That sounds like they're NOT going to start an IP war.

I think this news could mean anything, and we have to wait a while to let things pan out. It's just too difficult to dig through the corporate-speak to the real-world.

[cousinlucky]

OK I truly am a cynical and skeptical old goat. I sense nothing but multiple Shaftings coming. I have a scaled down windows and a Suse 10 operating systems now upon my computer. I have a set of Ubuntu disks ready to replace the both of them, if need be. This whole thing smells very bad to me, very bad!!