Good to see he's Ballmer is still beating the sad ol' drum.

In fact I might refresh a few memories where this started: http://www.eweek.com/art...2/0,1759,1729908,00.asp

You'll notice it states 'potentially' whilst Ballmer has decided to spin this as 'definitely'.

Thought he would have learnt from the SCO vs IBM case that they ain't going to win this battle.

Interesting... I imagine the likes of IBM could pull out there patent library and shut MS up pretty quickly.
IBM has already pledged Linux access to the patent library. (see: http://www.infoworld.com.../HNonlinepatents_1.html)
Add to that list CA, HP, Intel, Novell, Red Hat, and Sun Microsystems).

As long as it scares some clueless IT Execs, it has served its purpose.

Score: 0

Hmmm, those DOS commands that have been around since the early days look very suspiciously like Unix (I'm thinking of things such as pipes, I/O redirection, as well as programs such as MORE, MAKE, etc).

Score: 0

I try to tell you people. Microsoft is EVIL.

Does their deal with Novell give them access to some of these patents?

Did their funding of SCO give them access to some of these patents?

Why ANYONE would give Microsoft Corporation the benefit of the doubt in terms of business practices is beyond me.

I wish the public and consumer bases were ballsy enough to stand up to them and put a stop to this type of crap. Sadly, people seem to be content to just let Microsoft get away with things like this. Folks buy their PC's that come bundled with everything Microsoft and they settle down like lambs being led to the slaughter. It's easier to just go along than to do what's right. What a waste.

Microsoft is going to use their massive money and power to bludgen folks into submission, through threats or maybe actual legal action. They have such deep pockets that they can ride out the storm, and it doesn't look like anyone is going to actually try to stop them.

They can drive company after company into the ground simply by outspending them on legal maneuvering. They can win other companies to their side by throwing money at them. After all, it's about the short term shareholder benefit, right? As long as Microsoft is giving them cash, who do they care who gets hurt? They just want to meet those quarterly goals so they can get their bonuses, or take a buy-out so they can get the benefits of their golden parachutes.

Sure do wish folks would wake up and see what a bad company Microsoft can really be. It's a bummer to see so many folks in denial.

Score: 0

Ok so maybe they are infringing. I'm sure that all the open source developers would be more than happy to modify their code (if only they knew what was infringing) in order for it not to infringe. Open source developers do not need or, much to Micrsoft's dismay, want anything resembling Windows or Office code.

Score: 0

M$ will never dare to sue Linux, because if Linux closes, whom will M$ copy from in future

Score: 0

Funny, I wonder why Microsoft is still using the El Torito Boot Sector for booting Vista from the Disc, and using a variant of CD Shell for the boot-time GUI. If you examine the hex code, you can clearly see this. Even the directory structure proves it. Hello? What's the Boot subdirectory for? Where did it come from? Microsoft has never had such a directory structure with any other operating systems.

How can Microsoft claim Open-Source violates 235 patents when Microsoft is using Open-Source code in it's software? God only knows how much Open Source code they've really used, but as I said, it can't be denied or disputed that Microsoft has at least implemented a small portion of Open Source Code into Vista. As I said, they are still using the El Torito Boot sector, which was developed by a joint effort between IBM and Phoenix Technologies, and they are still using a variant of ISOLINUX, developed by H. Peter Anvin. Because the El Torito Bootable CD ROM specification is an extension to the ISO 9660 CD ROM specification, it is used by almost every company that develops operating systems. ISOLINUX is open source code without a shadow of a doubt.

If you don't believe me, do your research!
Microsoft, you just provided your own rope and have hung yourself. You stupid, arrogant, greedy, corrupt company!

Score: 0

Score: 0

This whole things sounds like Joe Mccarthy screaming about commies in the US Govt in the 50s. There may have, in fact, been commies in the govt just like there might be a few patent infringements here. Crying I "know" there are 205 card carrying commies in the govt and we "know" there are 235 patent infringements really doesn't mean anything, the idea is to scare open source developers into "thinking" they might go after them.

It also reminds me of Apple going after MS in the 90s when windows first came out, the idea that you could patent "look and feel" didn't fly in the courts then, I doubt it will now.

Score: 0

Infinite Number of Monkeys.

Intellectual Property typically protects the means by which a result was achieved, not the end result itself. For those who have been around, think back to the first IBM Personal Computers and then the Compaq Personal Computer. The Compaq developers weren't allowed to see the source for the IBM BIOS but were tasked with creating something that performed the same function, which is where we got the term IBM Compatible. Other developers are allowed to develop materials similar to those produced by Microsoft as long as they don't use Microsoft's code. Microsoft is pitching a fit because the Open-Source community is achieving the same goals that their own developers have put effort into and then giving away the capabilities for free. (GPL) Microsoft sees it as a threat and is simply lashing out. They've been doing this for years, attacking Apple, Sun and a number of other companies because those companies were able to produce software and tools that looked similar to their own.

The whole idea of being able to patent software is just absurd. Back to the monkeys. The infinite monkey theorem states that a monkey hitting keys at random on a typewriter keyboard for an infinite amount of time will almost surely type or create a particular chosen text, such as the complete works of William Shakespeare. The Monkey didn't see anything written by Shakespeare. It can't read. It doesn't even have a concept of who Shakespeare is. It was simply pressing buttons and by chance came up with the same result. That being said, if a non-Microsoft developer sits in front of a keyboard and has a conscious thought about how to arrive at a solution, then proceeds to type it out, good for him. If it turns out that someone at Microsoft already typed the same thing, who cares? The non-Microsoft developer didn't use any Microsoft materials to arrive at the solution so there should be no problem. If both developers used the same path to arrive at the conclusion, it should simply prove that it was the most logical path, so no foul. If Microsoft has a problem with it, they need to suck it up, move on and make something better. It's supposed to be a competitive market.

Score: 0

Same old MicroSoftie trying to muscle competitors out of the market.

They have been doing it for decades, its just that they are getting more aggressive now that Open Source is a viable alternative and becomming even more so as software progresses.

Score: 0

I was a little put back by this INITIALLY, then that only lasted about 5 seconds. You should support any company including MS if their claims are valid.
Open source this and that, it's kind of lame when an open source movement copies commercial code and thinks it can freely do with it as it wishes.
If MS can pay people or buy them for their tech, at least the same can be returned to them, no matter if they are the top dog or not.
I love MS :D

Score: 0

so which memeber of the open source sommunity are they planning on sueing? seeing as they are not in employ of any single organisation, microsoft would have to sue them all one by one, if they could figure out who to sue for what part. and as far as i remember ip only covers source code, not what that source code does, so if it is something like a scroll-bar, then it is more than likely coded entirely different.

Score: 0

I wonder how many Open Source (god bless) bits and pieces MS uses in its crappy a** software. Well, we'll never know, since there's no way to check coz ms is so uptight about its "intellectual (if theres such a thing there) property". But my guess, ms uses A LOT of open source in "their" products.

Score: 0

I can already imagine what these patents are, probably includes gems like "scrollbars", or whatever fancy BS they use to describe it.

Microsoft might not be so much interested about suing right now but im sure these patents arent just for show.

Score: 0

Gather around kids, this is the true beginning of the end of Microsoft. Neither developers or users have a place for their software if the company's future is non-stop faux SCO litigation. If you buy any Microsoft software from this point forward, you're just handing it to lawyers and conservative judges who will use it to prevent innovation from developers everywhere.

Sad, but then, has Microsoft done anything right this century? If so, someone please fill us in. Meanwhile, that nasty colonic gas you're smelling is Microsoft's desperation; they're getting beaten on every front.

Score: 0

I think the article says it best

"However, with free and open-source software, there usually is no centralized body for the patent holders to sign licensing agreements with."

Every other company has to pay for patent infrignements and/or to use something on which there is a patent.

As the VPIP said - "what do to about them is the question".

The companies will probably settle - as for the open source stuff - something will be done, or else companies will just toss whatever they are in huge violations of into the "open source" market and claim that they are just charging fees for support, etc.

Score: 0

Grasping at strings again....

Score: 0

Microsoft are nothing but liars. There is no patent infringement; the open source community has been asking forever for Microsoft to show them the code that supposively violates their IP. It doesn't exist, and they know it. Microsoft has no intention of filing patent lawsuits. Their goal is to spread FUD(fear, uncertainty, doubt) about Linux to keep businesses from trusting in it to meet their needs.

This is Microsoft propaganda at it's best. The fact they get away with this stuff makes me sick.

More info on the link:

http://www.showusthecode.com

The reason they don't sue, is because if a software patent war broke out, people might finally wake up and realize how bad software patents are to begin with.

Score: 0

Ah the spirit of free enterprise. All you can do is laugh really! How insecure are Microsoft!

Score: 0