Show Us The Code

[easuter]

http://showusthecode.com/

So this is what we're requesting. We are requesting the support of the Linux community. We are calling out to Richard Stallman, Linus Torvalds, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Dr. Eric Schmidt, Mark Shuttleworth, Kevin Carmony, and Matthew Szulik, as well as any and all developers for any Linux distribution or any company that feels threatened by your non-existent lawsuits:

Publicly pledge your support for Microsoft showing the public the code within Linux that violates their intellectual property by May 1st, 2007.

Its about time this whole thing was confronted head-on....

[Redman]

Wow ... as if we did not see that one coming

[fingal]

I doubt MS will respond to this for obvious reasons.

[easuter]

I doubt MS will respond to this for obvious reasons.

Indeed, but then at least the Linux community in general can shove a big "I told you so!" in Novell's face and any other organization fretting about possible patent lawsuits from Microsoft.

[d38dm8nw81k1ng]

i've got no idea why ballmer even wasted his time saying that linux had patented code. probably 90% of MS's patents are invalid outside (and probably a good number inside) the US. even if there was patented code, there's no incentive for anyone outside the US to remove it as MS would lose most claims anyway. the only thing it would do is make it slightly harder for those within to US to use linux but even then it's doubtful whether anyone using it would waste their time worrying about whether MS will sue them for it. i highly doubt they could win a case against someone merely using the software as they aren't the one breaking the patent.

[techieMoe]

I have to admit, I'm amused by their time limit on it and their saying anything past that point be considered "libelous". I applaud their zeal, but I doubt anyone at Microsoft will take it seriously.

That being said, I sincerely hope someone will. This is the kind of thing SCO tried to push on us for years, and we all know how that turned out.

[bidi]

Nice campain, but like techieMoe already mentioned, it's all been done before. I don't think it's a conisidence that Microsoft is now making the same claims that SCO made 4 years ago.

[easuter]

Nice campain, but like techieMoe already mentioned, it's all been done before. I don't think it's a conisidence that Microsoft is now making the same claims that SCO made 4 years ago.

Yeah, I remember Groklaw writing an open letter to Darl McBride with a similar wording.

But from this article:

http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/26/l...-his-mouth-is/

The first day has already yielded the support of 13 companies and SUTC is definitely hawking up an online presence

Not sure where they get the source for that statement, but its certainly possible.

[Redman]

I doubt anyone at Microsoft will take it seriously.

You might want to rephrase that: "I doubt anyone will take Microsoft seriously"

[karel.lukas]

Hi all.
Below as FYI. I just sent this open letter yesterday to both the Show Us The Code people and to Microsoft. Can any of you provide assistance in engaging the right people from the across the Linux community? I'm doing an outreach to enlist support. Setting a "venue" for a show down will make this issue come to a head -- I think in a positive way.
Ideas? Please let me know.
Thanks,
Karel

--------------------
April 12, 2007

OPEN LETTER TO: Linux Community & Microsoft

My name is Karel Lukas, and I'm the COO at a web collaboration company called Yugma. I've been following the Show Us The Code movement and Microsoft’s position closely, and understand how important this issue is for the future vitality of the Open Source and Linux communities.

As the May 1st deadline approaches, we at Yugma have been wondering what the ultimate conclusion of this debate will be. Will it quietly fizzle out? Will Microsoft continue to press their case and ignore the challenge? As we are approaching the May 1st deadline, we propose that we all collectively drive this debate to a proper conclusion.

Yugma is about to launch our Linux version, which will make our collaboration service interoperable between Linux, Mac, and PC. We think that makes us the perfect platform for hosting a virtual "sit-down" between the Show Us The Code movement and Microsoft on the day of the deadline.

For this event, we are offering to host a live debate between the Show Us The Code group and Microsoft on May 1st. Microsoft can present the alleged offending code live. Leaders from the Linux community can respond. Yugma will record the session and make it available to both parties afterwards for their own distribution. The date, time, and meeting information follows:

Date/Time: May 1, 2007 at 12:00 Noon Pacific Time
Place: www.yugma.com (click Join Session button)
Teleconference Bridge: +1-218-486-3889
Yugma Session ID: 109-433-046

We think Yugma would be a great venue for educating more people (and the Tech press) about the Show Us the Code movement as well as Microsoft’s position. We are in the process of contacting key contacts with both organizations to identify the key participants for the event. Likewise, key contacts from the Linux community and from Microsoft can contact us at showusthecode@yugma.com. We will be exhibiting at the Web 2.0 Conference in San Francisco April 16-18. If any of you will be there, please stop by the Yugma booth and we can discuss in person (booth #322).

Sincerely,

Karel Lukas
Chief Operating Officer
Yugma, Inc.
www.yugma.com