[ale] What do y'all think about Microsoft's new war?

[ozone at webgroup.org (David Tomaschik)]

Michael B. Trausch wrote:
> This is disturbing to me.
> <http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2007/05/28/100033867/index.htm> 
> Microsoft has pretty much declared war on all of us.  What happens if
> they succeed?  Do you think they will?
>
> I am sure that we all remember that back in November, Microsoft and
> Novell entered into an agreement
> <http://www.microsoft.com/interop/msnovellcollab/open_letter.mspx>,
> stating that Microsoft was coming to terms with Linux.  Interesting
> that now they are pretty much saying that Free Software violates them
> and they are pretty much threatening to take action against Free
> Software.  They want to destroy freedom.
>
> They're claiming that "the Linux kernel ... violates 42 Microsoft
> patents", "Linux [GUIs violate] another 65", "[OpenOffice.org] ...
> infringes 45 more", "E-mail programs infringe 15", and "other assorted
> FOSS programs allegedly transgress 68".
>
> Is anyone else getting really sick of this crap?
>
>     -- Mike
>
>
Of course we are.  Earlier I posted an entry on my blog
(http://matir.wordpress.com/2007/05/14/linux-and-software-patents/)
explaining why I don't they can, should or even really want to win. 
They just want to create enough of a scare to either generate revenue
(licensing patents) or keep major corporations from using Linux (and
consequently, getting them on Windows).

-- 
David Tomaschik
Moderator, LinuxQuestions.org
http://matir.wordpress.com