Microsoft issues warning about Linux lawsuits (Reuters) [LWN.net]

Microsoft issues warning about Linux lawsuits (Reuters)

Posted Nov 18, 2004 14:38 UTC (Thu) by lacostej (subscriber, #2760)
Parent article: Microsoft issues warning about Linux lawsuits (Reuters)

FSF has found 283 by themselves of which a third are owned by Linux 'friends' (IBM, ...)

See http://www.osriskmanagement.com/press_release_080204.pdf

I wonder if MS figure just comes from that study.

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OSRM != FSF

Posted Nov 18, 2004 18:23 UTC (Thu) by Ross (subscriber, #4065) [Link]

OSRM is a kind of open source insurance company. The FSF is the organization
supporting the GNU project and many other Free Software projects.

OSRM != FSF

Posted Nov 18, 2004 19:33 UTC (Thu) by lacostej (subscriber, #2760) [Link]

I know that. But if you read the press release:

"Well known patent attorney Dan Ravicher...senior counsel to the Free Software Foundation..."

The press release doesn't (except if I misread) says that the OSRM has commissioned the study. I have heard Richard Stallman using this argument in several of his speeches. So I concluded, perhaps too easily, that the FSF found the 283 potential patent issues themselves.

I would be really happy to know who really commissioned the study...

OSRM != FSF

Posted Nov 18, 2004 22:27 UTC (Thu) by Ross (subscriber, #4065) [Link]

Ah, I see. The link didn't work for me so I guess I was responding without
the proper context. Sorry about that. I heard mumblings to the effect that
some of the individuals opposed to the EU approving software patents were
making great use of this study, but I don't know if that was FFII, the FSF,
or some other group. And I don't know if that means they paid for the study.
It's possible they just self-funded the study to get more publicity for their
insurance plans.