our newest Ally ...Microsoft?

[easuter]

Novell has shot itself in the foot. Do they realy think MS will ever let their position in the desktop market come to any risk?
Well, the article from the Samba team sums it up for me:

http://news.samba.org/announcements/team_to_novell/

[cousinlucky]

Can it be fairly stated that the Microsoft/Novell deal is surely going to be challenged in various courts of law for violating the open source nature of Linux?

[burntfuse]

Has anyone else seen this?

http://www.computerworld.com/action/...icleId=9005171

Microsoft is basically admitting that the deal with Novell was the equivalent of protection money (except, of course, the way they said it made it seem like they're just protecting their property, keeping capitalism safe, and all that other crap). This makes me so mad - at this point I'd happily DoS Steve Ballmer's computer or something. What patent did this infringe on, one where they claim that they own the idea of a kernel? Or of an operating system? Or of tux?

[Dapper Dan]

Just got this from Google alerts...
Link

[carlosponti]

what irritates me about those claims is there is not a single company that can prove there is infringement. See Novel this is what happens when you sign a deal with the devil. I am being slowly driven to throw a pie in Steve Balmers face!

[joewee]

He says the open-source operating system infringes on his company's intellectual property
got to read this one...

[fingal]

He says the open-source operating system infringes on his company's intellectual property
got to read this one...

Thanks for the link. The way I see it, this is an old trick. MS see Linux as a threat, so - realising they can't get rid of it from the outside - they will try to 'move into the enemy camp' and defeat if from there. That won't be the last time he says something like this. We all know that Ballmer can't be trusted and we know what his real views are.

Like so many people now, he understands the power of the media. The idea is that if you say something often enough, it will become 'the truth'. In fact, the media don't make the truth, we do ... between all of us. He will fail to destroy the FOSS movement.

[antidrugue]

Just got this from Google alerts...
Link

From this article, a quote of Steve Ballmer :

We've had an issue, a problem that we've had to confront, which is because of the way the GPL (General Public License) works, and because open-source Linux does not come from a company -- Linux comes from the community -- the fact that that product uses our patented intellectual property is a problem for our shareholders.

Where did that come from ? Microsoft has a problem with Linux violating its intellectual property ? Linux violate Microsoft intellectual property ? Really ?

Wow. I guess you can come up with anything if your name is Steve Ballmer.

You got to give it to him. Is it true ? Is it false ? That's not the point for him. The point is : can I make more money if I make people believe that ?

[fingal]

Wow. I guess you can come up with anything if your name is Steve Ballmer.

You got to give it to him. Is it true ? Is it false ? That's not the point for him. The point is : can I make more money if I make people believe that ?

I have a feeling that Mr. Ballmer's comments will work against him. People aren't stupid and they'll know that he's playing a game. He's trying to bully people into thinking that Linux violates 'intellectual property', but he refuses to define what he's on about. What specific intellectual property? What does he mean by 'intellectual property' anyway?

Linux isn't a 'product' in the traditional sense of the word, so he's wrong there. He tries to make a link between the *nix community and an illegal act. I would suggest that he's talking out of his bottom, and that he should stick to doing what he does best ... nothing.

[Dapper Dan]

The way I see it, this is an old trick. MS see Linux as a threat, so - realising they can't get rid of it from the outside - they will try to 'move into the enemy camp' and defeat if from there.

I agree. A possible scenario:

I don't think Microsoft can prove any sort of infringement by "Linux" of its intellectual property. But it doesn't matter. Just the threat of Microsoft bringing lawsuits will be enough for many in business that already use Linux into switching their servers over to SuSE/Novell for the seeming legal protection Ballmer has already said would be a part of their deal. If Microsoft does bring lawsuits against Red Hat, Oracle and the many distros, that will create a stampede over to SuSE by businesses who value that protection, knowing they can continue to use Linux and receive unhindered and legal support. Through years of endless legal challenges, Microsoft could then financially drain all the remainders without much effort. In the end, it won't matter if the other distros win in court because they will all be bankrupt. That leaves most of the businesses who use or want to use Linux largely in Novell's coral. If that happens, the Novell/Microsoft deal will then enable Microsoft to more easily control or destroy Linux as a rival in the server/business arena.

I could be completely wrong though...