An additional note

Posted Oct 12, 2007 23:00 UTC (Fri) by dag- (guest, #30207)
In reply to: An additional note by corbet
Parent article: Patent Infringement Lawsuit Filed Against Red Hat and Novell - Just Like Ballmer Predicted (Groklaw)

Jonathan,

I think you think too kindly of Microsoft to expect that Microsoft would be sticking to a 'partner' they have a deal with. :)

It would be a superb strategy (playing the devil's advocate) if they on one hand show they are kind to Linux and Open Source like they pretended with the Novell deal. And on the other hand add extra FUD and threats to Linux by having other parties (patent trolls) attack Linux and Open Source using patents.

Microsoft has the money to pay them off, Apple may have the money. But kill Open Source by unleashing the lions.

Nobody can publically point to Microsoft (as long as there is no paper/electronic trail). I wonder what Novell is thinking now. They paid one party for patent-peace (although got money in return) and it hasn't helped them.

Red Hat on the other hand is dealing with this correctly. They do not make deals with people that use maffia-tactics. But that doesn't make them any stronger.

Maybe Microsoft paid Novell 384 million dollars to sit through this attack, while Red Hat goes under ? Wouldn't that be an interesing point of view ? Maybe Novell settles for such an amount...

(At least this comment may have them think twice ? :P)

An additional note

Posted Oct 13, 2007 6:58 UTC (Sat) by jfj (guest, #37917) [Link]

Exactly.

Also there is a general problem that many open source people do not accept software patents. As long as developers don't care about patents the Microsoft-Novell deal is nothing.

The best way to make the MS-Novell deal real and consequently give an advantage to Novell wrt other distributions, is to show a case where open source software *is* vunerable.

First of all, they have to show that software patents
1) Exist. Not only in USA.
2) Affect OSS
3) They can destroy your business if you don't take them seriously
4) They matter, whether you think the idea of patents is absurd or not.

Obviously, even Novell will have to pay some minimal patent fees in this case. But think of the profits latter!