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.
Thread beginning with comment 256519
To view parent comment, click here.
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
To view parent comment, click here.
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
Member since:2007-02-17
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racketeer_Influenced_and_Corrupt_Organ...
RICO offenses and definitions
Racketeering activity means:
* Any act or threat involving gambling, murder, kidnapping, arson, robbery, bribery, extortion,
Racketeering activity means:
* Any act or threat involving gambling, murder, kidnapping, arson, robbery, bribery, extortion,
Microsoft asking for money from people for Linux, in any way, shape or form, is certainly a candidate for a charge of extortion.
Microsoft have already been found out asking for money from people for Linux.
Microsoft is no stranger to charges of RICO violations
by b3timmons on Thu 19th Jul 2007 18:06
in reply to "RE[12]: uh"
Member since:2006-08-26
And RICO? Wtf. RICO has nothing to do with Microsoft. At all.
On the contrary, whether Microsoft can be convicted under RICO is a decades old, recurring question. In the latest recurrence, see, e.g., how the top hit on the search 'Microsoft RICO' mentions RICO in the context of the 235 alleged patent violations and reminds us that Microsoft and Best Buy are currently being tried for racketeering under RICO:
http://riskman.typepad.com/perilocity/2007/05/microsoft_rico.html
(FWIW, from the site, "Mr. Quarterman has 26 years of experience in internetworking, beginning with work on ARPANET software at BBN.")
Edited 2007-07-19 18:19
Recent Original Stories
Recent Comments
Headlines
Random Comments
Random Stories
Random OS Link
Member since:
2005-07-06
So what is it that has Microsoft worried? If they aren't going to sue over patents, why worry about the provisions in GPL v3, which after all amount only to: "you agree that you won't sue anybody over patents".
To protect themselves just in case. It's still a legal grey area, untested. No reason to leave themselves vulnerable.
And RICO? Wtf. RICO has nothing to do with Microsoft. At all.