Linux Scare Tactics (Forbes)

Linux Scare Tactics (Forbes)

I'm not crazy about what they are doing, but if I were Linus and these guys offered to send me the list, I would urge them not to, and furthermore if they did I would delete the mail unread. That's because of the way patent law works: knowing infringement triples the damages if the patent is ultimately upheld and a court decides that Linux infringes.

In any case, it it quite likely that Windows as well as OS X also violate at least half of those patents; there are tons of bogus patents out there. Most patents are flawed in some way, are ridiculously overbroad, or have tons of prior art making them legally questionable. Linux (and BSD) are more vulnerable because patent violations are easier to find. But Windows isn't safe if a war breaks out.