Novell + Microsoft ?

lumiwa · 2006-11-18 23:09:35

baze wrote:

Romashka wrote:
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer Thursday declared his belief that the Linux operating system infringes on Microsoft's intellectual property.
http://www.linuxworld.com.au/index.php/ … p;2;fpid;1
Ballmer is crazy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvsboPUjrGc really?

http://linux.slashdot.org/article.pl?si … 9&from=rss

lumiwa · 2006-11-19 14:46:54

Interesting:

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Pars … D2=&d=PTXT

soloport · 2006-11-20 03:18:33

Romashka wrote:

Samba Team Asks Novell to Reconsider

And Novell's reply

dtw · 2006-11-21 11:13:07

I'm glad I didn't do the knee-jerk thing to this news. I felt sure that Bullmer was just FUD'ing and Novell have come out and called his bluff, it seems.

I did find Bullmer's original comments worrying to the point of stomach churning. I was generally sceptical of MS ability to sue anyway but now Novell has come out and basically said that they could bring a significantly larger counter-suit I feel like Novell have, in fact, moved to protect Linux in a very positive way.

I hope the interoperability that is mention will also benefit Linux as a whole, but I imagine that is just where patents will be slapped

http://www.novell.com/linux/microsoft/c … etter.html

Romashka · 2006-11-21 13:13:52

Moglen: How we'll kill the Microsoft Novell deal

Romashka · 2006-11-21 15:40:36

dtw wrote:

http://www.novell.com/linux/microsoft/c … etter.html

And Microsoft Statement on Novell Agreement

Microsoft and Novell have agreed to disagree on

Novell Statement on Proposed European Union Software Directive Changes

dtw · 2006-11-21 16:50:35

Regardless of what MS have said in response to N's open letter, N's open letter makes it perfectly clear that no precedent regarding IP and patents has been set, which is extremely important. The rest is just piss and wind.

soloport · 2006-11-21 21:13:47

The rest would be "p*ss and wind", unless you're:
* selling / supporting Linux -- customers are now nervous
* deploying Linux (server farm) -- your PHB is now nervous
* developing Linux (drivers) -- both your PHB and end-users are nervous

Nobody is saying that customers, PHB or end-users are right or enlightened. But to some, those are the
folks who's opinion matters. They make the "buy" decision -- right or wrong.

FUD is used by some because it's effective. Deals with the Devil are just dumb. Novell has forgotten whole
chapters of industry history -- even its own. They've just made it that much harder for the ma' and pa'
shops to make a living. (Selling MS solutions is not a decent business model; Selling Linux solutions used
to be.) They seem to have even made things a bit harder for themselves, in the process.

EDIT: lumiwa!! Please encapsulate the LONG link into a set of URL tags. Please!

soloport · 2006-11-21 23:04:21

On the other hand... There are those who seem to see reason.

Barry Strasnick, CIO of North Quincy, Mass. financial services provider CitiStreet LLC, was even more
emphatic. "Like many IT executives, I took great offense to Ballmer's comments."
...
Microsoft's assertions might be even backfire. "There were some applications I had been thinking about
moving to a Microsoft platform, but this has now totally alienated me from Microsoft," Strasnick said.

Romashka · 2006-11-23 23:25:32

Protest the Microsoft-Novell Patent Agreement signed by Bruce Perens and more than 1000 people at the moment.

Romashka · 2006-12-02 20:06:04

what SuSE devs are saying

PingFloyd · 2006-12-03 02:13:12

My suspicions are that it's a chance for microsoft to propogate their IP into open source to later try to use as leverage.

Maybe they're hoping that in the fog of things some of their intellectual property will slip in, be lost track of, and end up mixed in all sorts of other distros over time, due to the nature of sharing, contributing, and exchanging of code in the open source world (the very thing that makes the concept of open source superior and conducive to software evolving so well).

Perhaps, even Novell will purposely help them and maybe that's where they're getting something out of all of this -- getting in as a partner in crime of the planned fleecing.

In other words, I think it's a chance for microsoft to gain some sort of influence on future developments of the Linux world, in their minds at least. Everyone, including them, knows that GNU/Linux is their biggest threat that has always slipped through their grip. They probably either want a piece of it's action or want to set it back to try to get a leg up on it.

On the other hand, I don't know if outright, Microsoft's motivations are really malignant in intent, but maybe it's more of a case that they're blind sided and mentally live in a vacuum in alot of ways. That's kind of one of things you learn if you've ever known anyone that has worked for them -- that working at microsoft is like living in a culture or community that's way out of touch with world and reality. Much of Microsoft believes in what it's doing and often actually wants to do good through software development. What it ends up being is what is percieved as good by someone who has spent too much time in that distorted microsoft version of reality.

Like the old saying goes, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."

I mean a person could try to give them the benefit of the doubt and stop and think, perhaps Microsoft has a genuine interest in Linux and wants become a part of furthering it's development while somehow being able to make it profitable. But somehow that kind of thinking seem naive and dangerous considering their track record. It almost seem like just the kind of thinking behind why so many things have fallen into their traps. However, I can see them causing damage to GNU/Linux and many open-source projects while at the same time being well meaning in their own minds.

One thing I feel pretty certain about is, that regardless of what their intention are and whether they're based upon good or bad motivations, they most likey totally don't understand the reasonings and motivations behind concepts like Linux, FOSS, and FSF etc. I truly believe they just don't get it. I feel pretty sure that they don't definitely don't get it like all the users that love it so much do. In my book, this really shows what a bunch of philistines Microsoft really is, even though they seem to fancy themselve's as being progressive and forward thinking.

xterminus · 2006-12-03 03:12:25

PingFloyd wrote:

One thing I feel pretty certain about is, that regardless of what their intention are and whether they're based upon good or bad motivations, they most likey totally don't understand the reasonings and motivations behind concepts like Linux, FOSS, and FSF etc. I truly believe they just don't get it. I feel pretty sure that they don't definitely don't get it like all the users that love it so much do. In my book, this really shows what a bunch of philistines Microsoft really is, even though they seem to fancy themselve's as being progressive and forward thinking.

I interviewed a Microsoft a couple of times on a lark, just to get a feel for the Company (hey, I was bored). I remember the last interview, which was with Bill Hilf (Head of Microsoft's Linux Labratory). Microsoft "gets" FLOSS just fine. They understand exactly what drives it (the community).

This MicroSuse deal is Microsoft's attempt at dividing the commercial and noncommercial sectors of the FOSS community, and then after they do that, "Microsoft then will be able to use its patents to sue to block the development of software in the non-commercial sector without the fear of suing its own customers, which is the force that now constrains them from misbehavior with their patent portfolio." -- EbenMoglen

It's about business, money, and destroying the competition. And they are finally getting it "right" and attacking what makes FLOSS work. The community.

soloport · 2006-12-03 19:50:19

xterminus wrote:

PingFloyd wrote:
It's about business, money, and destroying the competition. And they are finally getting it "right" and attacking what makes FLOSS work. The community.
Unsure about this. Novell says they initiated the conversation. If that's true, how does that make Microsoft the bad guy? At the worst, it makes Novell look a little naive.

Arch Linux

#26 2006-11-18 23:09:35

Re: Novell + Microsoft ?

#27 2006-11-19 14:46:54

Re: Novell + Microsoft ?

#28 2006-11-20 03:18:33

Re: Novell + Microsoft ?

#29 2006-11-21 11:13:07

Re: Novell + Microsoft ?

#30 2006-11-21 13:13:52

Re: Novell + Microsoft ?

#31 2006-11-21 15:40:36

Re: Novell + Microsoft ?

#32 2006-11-21 16:50:35

Re: Novell + Microsoft ?

#33 2006-11-21 21:13:47

Re: Novell + Microsoft ?

#34 2006-11-21 23:04:21

Re: Novell + Microsoft ?

#35 2006-11-23 23:25:32

Re: Novell + Microsoft ?

#36 2006-12-02 20:06:04

Re: Novell + Microsoft ?

#37 2006-12-03 02:13:12

Re: Novell + Microsoft ?

#38 2006-12-03 03:12:25

Re: Novell + Microsoft ?

#39 2006-12-03 19:50:19

Re: Novell + Microsoft ?

#40 2006-12-05 13:01:16

Re: Novell + Microsoft ?

#41 2006-12-05 19:53:41

Re: Novell + Microsoft ?

Board footer