In comments confirming the open-source community's suspicions, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer Thursday declared his belief that the Linux operating system infringes on Microsoft's intellectual property. In a question-and-answer session after his keynote speech at the Professional Association for SQL Server conference in Seattle, Ballmer said Microsoft was motivated to sign a deal with SUSE Linux distributor Novell earlier this month because Linux "uses our intellectual property" and Microsoft wanted to "get the appropriate economic return for our shareholders from our innovation."
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Member since:2006-01-04
VFAT/FAT32 is apparently partially patented (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FAT32 if you trust WP..)
Member since:2006-01-10
Member since:2006-03-15
Member since:2005-07-06
Member since:2006-11-02
It's the lack of specificity that is the most damaging.
The last thing Microsoft wants is to have to specify what exactly is supposed to be infringing on their patents. Continuously putting the message out in the business world that Linux is a messy patent minefield that is just not worth venturing into is the best case scenario for Microsoft.
Member since:2005-11-11
//It's the lack of specificity that is the most damaging.
The last thing Microsoft wants is to have to specify what exactly is supposed to be infringing on their patents.//
Microsoft don't say "patents" as far as I can see.
They say "IP".
I think Ballmer is talking about trade secrets.
Trade secrets that are revealed by Samba, OpenOffice and ntfs-3g.
The problem (for Ballmer) is that there is absolutely nothing wrong (legally) with Linux working out some Microsoft trade secrets.
Member since:
2006-11-08
It's SCO all over again. Until Ballmer makes specific claims about infringements, we can all remain calm.