Kapor's Thoughts on Desktop Linux (O'ReillyNet) [LWN.net]

Daniel Steinberg reports on Kapor's keynote from OSCON 2003 in this O'ReillyNet article. "Six years later, in 1991, Linux was introduced. Kapor argues that Linux is so successful on the server that it is attracting parasitic companies whose business offerings consist of little more than Linux-centered litigation. As for desktop computing, Kapor asserts that Linux is gaining credibility in this era of Net-centric computing as this focus on the Net is in the DNA of Linux."

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Litigation as a Core Business

Posted Jul 15, 2003 22:36 UTC (Tue) by AnswerGuy (guest, #1256) [Link]

"Linux is so successful on the server that it is attracting parasitic companies whose business offerings consist of little more than Linux-centered litigation "

Gee! Who could he be talking about? :)

It's hard not to be cynical when we read of companies being sued for "theft" by enabling TV viewers to automatically zap commercials.

Totalitarianism: That which is not prohibited is mandatatory. Non-conformism is social terrorism; dissent is intolerable.

Litigation as a Core Business

Posted Jul 16, 2003 14:50 UTC (Wed) by wweber (guest, #11678) [Link]

Unfortunately it looks like this will be the big business of the future as every concept, business method, DNA sequence, programming algorithm, and arithmetic technique is patented, every humanly pronounceable utterance is trademarked, and very commercial activity is regulated; licenses doled out by the large multinational corporations that can pay for their pet legislators.
There are some grassroots movements to wake up people to the need to take back power from the corporations, by stripping them of their personhood, including their ACLU protection. Maybe we can all stop this sort of thing before your prediction comes true.