Is Microsoft preparing to sue Linux/FOSS users?

[vishalrao]

A number of posts on blogs and tech sites today;
Microsoft has mentioned that Linux and other FOSS infringes upon over 200 of their patents. CEO Steve Ballmer has broached the subject earlier as well.
Are they preparing to sue Linux/FOSS users for royalties/licensing fees to earn additional revenue?
I wonder what will be the response of various governments and OSS friendly companies should Microsoft go on the offensive.
I hope any evil plans Microsoft has end up like SCO’s 🙂
PS: Microsoft’s “Live” branding, especially when spelled backwards, is “Evil” !



Is Microsoft preparing to sue Linux/FOSS users? « cogito ergo vagus

Some posts:

Microsoft about to enter into patent war? « Scobleizer

and

Microsoft: Linux and others violate 235 of our patents - Engadget

Here's a post that says Microsoft is not going to sue:

Robert McLaws: Windows Vista Edition : Microsoft Is Not Suing OSS, So Relax

 

[Sushubh]

if they are going to open a can of worms... god help them.

 

[max]

yeah right...sue on M$ sue on M$ 🙂

 

[vishalrao]

oh man, 5 months ago MS said Linux violated 200+ patents, now some IP troll is suing... and conspiracy theory says MS is behind this, just like MS sponsored SCO lawsuits hehe

Red Hat, Novell sued for patent infringment | The Register

Groklaw - Patent Infringement Lawsuit Filed Against Red Hat & Novell - Just Like Ballmer Predicted

so MS doesnt want to start a PR storm by suing directly but thru proxy companies. they failed with SCO, this time i hope they get their behinds nicely whooped 🙂

 

[gregory house]

Multiple workspaces - will they are also sue nvidia which used to (don't know current status) provide similar facility on Windows through their drivers?

Jobs, Gates etc got most of their ideas from Xerox - ui, mouse etc. To be fair, Gates did warn some of them. But that is a long time ago. Software patents are a crazy idea to begin with. All this mess is sooner or later going to play into the hands of people like Chavez - All corporates are bad. All patents are bad. So do away with them.

If Microsoft is behind this, it is underestimating the strength of the opposition. Apple might fold. Don't know about Linux cos like Red Hat.

@vishal rao
live = evil = vile. Also applies to anything that is alive. So, basically, all life is evil.

 

[max]

Ms. is getting desperate by the day!

 

---

[smartbuddy_82]

Microsoft is aware of the rising popularity of Linux and so they are doing all ridiculous things to stop Linux even if it means opening a can of worms...

 

[vishalrao]

There's also this guy in Europe who is trying to convince the governments to force MS to "unbundle" the OS from the PC. So all PC sellers will have to either sell clean machines or provide alternative OS installations 🙂That, along with OpenGL support from corporates to counter DirectX's monopoly, will be the biggest threat to MS' monopoly...

 

[power]

M$ will not directly sue any linux vendor on patent issue since many other will lose even more trust on them plus M$ is also breaking few patents owned by open source corporations so it will be never ending lawsuit wars . They however may indirectly file lawsuits through smaller companies as their proxy . This mess wont end unless US government reforms whole software patent system .