Linked by Thom Holwerda on Wed 18th Jul 2007 22:09 UTC, submitted by Kishe
Microsoft says software that's licensed under a new version of a popular open source license isn't covered by the patent protection deal it recently signed with desktop Linux distributor Linspire. In a posting on its Web site, Microsoft said the Linspire client software protected by the patent deal doesn't include any parts of the distribution that "comprise or include Foundry Products, Clone Products, GPLv3 Software, or Other Excluded Products." The document was published on July 5, three weeks after Microsoft struck a deal with Linspire through which Linspire's customers are indemnified against Microsoft's patent claims against Linux users.
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Member since:
2006-05-26
I wouldn't be surprised if this is what Microsoft was expecting to happen.
At least in US law, you can't be dragged into new terms of a contract unless both parties agree ahead of it going into effect.
Thus, say what you will, but this is likely to have been an interesting ploy by Microsoft, countered by one of the FSF, and something to be determined in a court room in a more binding way, assuming one of the parties find things worth the time, effort, money, and possibly bad PR of such a move.