Microsoft takes on the free world (CNN) [LWN.net]

Microsoft takes on the free world (CNN)

Posted May 14, 2007 2:51 UTC (Mon) by kwink81 (guest, #33926)
Parent article: Microsoft takes on the free world (CNN)

This article is actually much more fair and informed then most on this subject. It sure doesn't make me any more happy, though.

"Gutierrez refuses to identify specific patents or explain how they're being infringed, lest FOSS advocates start filing challenges to them."

Sigh... This is annoying. Microsoft can't actually try to assault FOSS in court, that would let the FOSS community show that the alleged "intellectual property" is complete BS. That was the mistake SCO made. So they are simply going to stand up at every podium they can find and shout "Hundreds of patents!" it hope that less-educated CEOs get scared.

Maybe the best solution would be to bring to fight to them. The Software Freedom Law Center could sue Microsoft for slander. MS, in self defense, would have to reveal their patents to the world. That would give us the chance to either challenge them or work around them. Of course, the SFLC would need umteen million in cash sitting around in order to substain that kind of legal action, so that may be wishful thinking.

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Microsoft takes on the free world (CNN)

Posted May 14, 2007 10:27 UTC (Mon) by macc (subscriber, #510) [Link]

One solution would be to
make a list of all M$ patents
and then start contesting them
in alphabetical order.

Microsoft takes on the free world (CNN)

Posted May 14, 2007 10:35 UTC (Mon) by NigelK (guest, #42083) [Link]

Maybe, but that sounds like chopping the head off a hydra - whilst you're getting one patent invalidated, MS will have filed several more.

Reform of the US patent system is needed, plain and simple.

Microsoft takes on the free world (CNN)

Posted May 14, 2007 16:48 UTC (Mon) by bronson (subscriber, #4806) [Link]

Interesting you should say that... I was picturing the same analogy but in reverse. Worst case, Microsoft declares total war on Linux and starts using patents to gun down development teams at Red Hat, IBM, etc. Each team that gets lopped off in Sunnyvale or Westford will just grow back in Bangalore or Shanghai. Irritating, yes, but not a big deal from the global picture.

Microsoft takes on the free world (CNN)

Posted May 14, 2007 18:51 UTC (Mon) by salimma (subscriber, #34460) [Link]

Unless you're a programmer paid by a US company to work on open source. Getting your job outsourced for legal reason would be much more infuriating than getting your job outsourced for cost reasons.

Take it to your Congress Critter

Posted May 15, 2007 9:17 UTC (Tue) by AnswerGuy (subscriber, #1256) [Link]

If this results in any significant number of lost jobs in the U.S. then you can imagine that everyone who loses his or her job ... and every relative of each of them ... and any co-workers who were barely missed by the axe ... and *their* relatives will all be leaning on representatives and senators.

This would be U.S. patent armageddon. It would finally push the matter far enough into the light that Joe Sixpack would raise a stink about it.

Microsoft takes on the free world (CNN)

Posted May 14, 2007 16:55 UTC (Mon) by smoogen (subscriber, #97) [Link]

That is another hydra problem.. the only way to slay both of them is to use Iolaus's solution. Cut the head off and burn the head. By showing how broken the patent system is you can convince the honest politician to fix the system. By showing how corrupt Microsoft can be in bribing politicians.. you can show how to fix that system.

Microsoft takes on the free world (CNN)

Posted May 15, 2007 8:45 UTC (Tue) by frankie (subscriber, #13593) [Link]

Ack, US software patenting is evil, plain and simple.

Microsoft takes on the free world (CNN)

Posted May 14, 2007 18:39 UTC (Mon) by allesfresser (subscriber, #216) [Link]

>This article is actually much more fair and informed then most on this subject.

Well, that's not saying much... especially since this article takes great pains to paint RMS and the FSF as being the stick-in-the-mud troglodytes that not only MS, but everyone in the "open-source" world are ever-so-patiently tolerating, kind of like the stuffy old uncle you wish you could get away from. I'm sure Microsoft would love it if everyone saw the FSF that way, but fortunately their daydreams haven't come true yet.