[clue-talk] FW: [LinuxFun] patent-indemnification solution specialist

[David L. Willson]

Tony,

Wouldn't you agree that what these companies are doing by entering
cross-patent licentsing agreements is validating the current concept of
patents as a means of intimidation?  Isn't that inherently bad, because
it discourages developers with ingenuity but nothing to trade or pay
Microsoft from using their talents?

David

On Fri, 2007-06-22 at 20:45 -0600, Tony McDowell wrote:
> I don't agree with this mindset.  If you look at the nature of
> Novell's SuSE and NovellDesktop offerings, Linspire, and Xandros, ALL
> THREE have made it a priority to play well with Windows applications.
> If you've seen the Xandros development builds, they are starting to
> place CrossOver and Wine right in the mainline.  Bearing this in mind,
> I can see why they'd "capitulate" with Microsoft.  It's to protect
> themselves when they start stepping all over the Win32 API to make
> Windows apps work under Linux is production, corporate environments
> (notice what I said -- production environments, not home users). 
> 
> Red Hat, Ubuntu, and Mandriva have always made a public showing of
> their "down with Microsoft, Linux can do everything" attitude.  That
> being said, I am not remotely surprised that they have reacted the way
> they have.  They don't _need_ Microsoft or Windows for their normal
> business model or target client base to work properly.  They don't
> need any access to API's or other IP from MS, so there's no need for
> them to sign anything that would give them access to it or protection
> from "stepping on it". 
> 
> While I absolutely HATE that things have come to this, I think it had
> to come to something like this eventually.  Somewhere down the road, I
> think that ReactOS will face the same scenario as well when MS brings
> out the "IP infringement" guns on having "two Windows". 
> 
> As a final note, don't forget that Apple is "in bed with" Microsoft to
> a sum that I am no longer familiar with dating back to the late 1990's
> when Apple was months from going under and Microsoft infused huge sums
> of money into Cupertino just to keep up the guise of "competition."  I
> make this point because no one seems to be going around chastising
> Apple for being in bed with MS like these Linux companies. 
> 
> as always, this is just my $0.02 so take it for what it's worth.
> 
> .tony
> 
> On 6/22/07, dennisjperkins at comcast.net <dennisjperkins at comcast.net>
> wrote:
>         It just shows that even Linux companies can have a PHB.
>         
>         Only a fool capitulates and pays money without being shown
>         proof.  Unless they're going to break your kneecaps. :)
>         
>         
>         
>         -------------- Original message ---------------------- 
>         From: "David L. Willson" <DLWillson at TheGeek.NU>
>         > reposting for link repair...  and I'll add a few more links
>         while I'm at it...
>         > Hopefully, I won't break them this time. 
>         >
>         >
>         > -----Original Message-----
>         >
>         > Had to work hard to get the acronym I was working for
>         there...
>         >
>         > Just to let you know, in case you're not paying attention,
>         these are the 
>         > Linux
>         > distribution vendors that are in bed with Microsoft:
>         >
>         >  - Novell
>         >  - Xandros
>         >  - Linspire
>         >
>         > And these are the Linux distribution vendors that have
>         stated their 
>         > disinterest in being
>         > bedded by Microsoft.
>         >
>         >  - Red Hat - http://www.redhat.com/promo/believe/
>         >  - Ubuntu - http://www.markshuttleworth.com/archives/127
>         >  - Mandriva -
>         http://blog.mandriva.com/2007/06/19/we-will-not-go-to-canossa/
>         >
>         > And ~this~ is how Microsoft encourages vigorous competition
>         and
>         > innovation:
>         >
>         http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleI
>         > d=9019238
>         >
>         > David L. Willson
>         > Trainer/Engineer/Consultant
>         > MCT, MCSE, Linux+
>         > (720) 333-LANS
>         >
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