OSNews

Novell got a very bad press for getting into bed with Microsoft.

BUT what everyone one all sites have failed to notice, is that Novell got Microsoft to admit one thing... That Linux exists and is a viable competitior.

Until the deal, Microsoft was telling everyone Linux was a cancer and no-one uses it in seriousness, but in the talks with Novell, Microsoft admitted that Fortune500 companies that used Windows were also using Linux, but that Brad Smith (microsoft patent dude), had scared them all into either dumping Windows from the desktop, or paying lawyers a vast fee.

Microsoft decided to pull Brad Smith back a touch and get into talks with a Linux distributor.


THE CONCLUSION:

Microsoft retains the right to sue Linux distributors and Linux user who do not sign up as Novell did.
Microsoft and Novell has a no-sue agreement over each others patents, Novell gets $240m and Microsoft gets to include Novell's NFS into Windows. As a plus, Microsoft can go back to the Fortun500 companies and give them vouchers for Novell Linux.
The shortsightedness of this deal however, is that in essence, Microsoft is now a distributor of Linux too.

The whole patents malarkey can safely be ignored, like a terrier with no teeth.

As a Side note.

I am writing this in Firefox 3 (final) on OpenSuse 11 and it is FU%£ING excellent !