On Microsoft's patent claims
On Microsoft's patent claims
Posted May 17, 2007 9:28 UTC (Thu) by NRArnot (subscriber, #3033)Parent article: On Microsoft's patent claims
Surely the biggest defense is that as soon as Microsoft names a patent, the community will be able to start rewriting the code to bypass the patent. I wonder how many patents Microsoft has on things so fundamental that such a rewrite would be a serious problem for Linux?
(And of course, the patent would have to stand up to legal scrutiny as well as be a fundamental roadblock).
I wonder whether when Microsoft says "Linux" it may actually mean the software suites that compete with Microsoft: Linux + Openoffice + xxxSQL + Apache .... There's probably more danger that Openoffice is a target than the Linux kernel, and I believe that Microsoft makes a lot more money selling Office than Windows. Who knows, they might even attack Openoffice at the same time that they ship MS Office for Linux!
Posted May 17, 2007 11:51 UTC (Thu)
by djpig (guest, #18768)
[Link]
From the article:
"But he does break down the total number allegedly violated - 235 - into categories. He says that the Linux kernel - the deepest layer of the free operating system, which interacts most directly with the computer hardware - violates 42 Microsoft patents. The Linux graphical user interfaces - essentially, the way design elements like menus and toolbars are set up - run afoul of another 65, he claims. The Open Office suite of programs, which is analogous to Microsoft Office, infringes 45 more. E-mail programs infringe 15, while other assorted FOSS programs allegedly transgress 68."
On Microsoft's patent claims