Microsoft and Novell Announce Broad - MS Genuine Dis-Advantage =p

[Joseph]

Hello Ben,

  Actually I don't think that your assessment is far
off.  In light of historic events, patent cooperation
sounds like a euphemism for impending lawsuit. 
Whenever lawyers posture in coordination with a patent
system that is painfully broken we should expect very
dangerous developments.  Maybe MS will extend the
“genuine advantage” to Linux.  =P  And what an
advantage it isn't!  Honestly, I don't know how they
are going to sell this one when MS has been spreading
so much FUD about FOSS.  MS Linux anyone?  

  I hope that something more positive will come of
this but at this point I am a skeptic.  

Thanks,
J


Message: 8
Date: Fri, 3 Nov 2006 10:33:33 -0500
From: "Ben Scott" <dragonhawk at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Microsoft and Novell Announce Broad
Collaboration on
	Windows	and Linux Interoperability and Support
To: "jimmy Pierre"
<jimmypierre.rouen.france at gmail.com>
Cc: gnhlug-discuss at mail.gnhlug.org
Message-ID:

<155dc4110611030733m340d1d90o8f9dcc0e825944f2 at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1;
format=flowed

On 11/3/06, jimmy Pierre
<jimmypierre.rouen.france at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2006/nov06/11-02MSNovellPR.mspx

"As part of this agreement, Microsoft will provide a
covenant not to
assert its patent rights against customers who have
purchased SUSE
Linux Enterprise Server or other covered products from
Novell ..."

#ifdef PARANOID

  It appears Microsoft has found a way to charge for
Linux licenses.

  Here's the plan.  Partner with Novell for SuSE. 
Patent some stuff
Linux does.  (Doesn't matter if it's legit, Microsoft
has more money
and better lawyers.)    Declare to the world that
anyone running Linux
not running SuSE Linux will get sued into oblivion. 
Sue Red Hat into
oblivion.  Sue SPI into oblivion.  Sue SCO... nah,
just pay SCO to
drop their Linux products.  Obtain injunctions on
anyone distributing
copies of Debian or Ubuntu or whatever inside the US.

  Now there is only one "Linux company" left, Novell.

  Microsoft cancels all agreements with Novell.  (Cue
"Star Wars: The
Empire Strikes Back" sound clip, Darth Vadar: "I am
altering the deal.
 Pray I do not alter it any further.")

  Sue Novell into oblivion.  Now there are no "Linux
companies" left.
Commercial markets flee in terror back to 'doze. 
Microsoft cranks up
their license fee extortion even further.

  (Alternatively, Microsoft can just keep asking
Novell for more and
more money for their patent cooperation, thus turning
SuSE Linux
license fees into a revenue stream.  But I think they
prefer the
direct approach.)

#endif

  Ha ha.  Only serious.

-- Ben "I wish I was kidding" Scott