Be AFRAID of patents or where the community stands or if Ubuntu signs Microsoft deal: I’m out of here
Rumor has it that Ubuntu/Canonical might be next in line for an “exclusive” (haha) deal with Microsoft. Rumor. It seems that the Canonical people are keeping up the good fight for now together with Red Hat but you never know. Therefore I would like to express that I want all these cooperations to know that I support the coompanys that stick with the open source world and don’t sign things like patents because as long as Microsoft hasn’t claimed anything on paper Linux doesn’t have to care a bit about Microsoft patents.
I’m really wondering how quiet it is about the whole patent thing. How can it be that so many people seem to just accept it and every few dasy/weeks another company falls into the hands of Microsoft!? If developers of the signed-companies develop new software do they start to use patented technology? And if they do can they release it under the GPL afterwards? I don’t thing so and I don’t thing that a signed contract solves the troubles behind GPL-licensed software and releasing it to costumors… no if Microsoft would really like to tackle the problem they would attack Linux directly and question it before a court. The problem is that all the companies who try to put a price-tag on Linux can be bought and are somehow bought and some point of time like it happened with these ugly Microsoft deals. They are just looking for financial support. Take a look at Novell. This company is far away from being well. They are far from creating real good software but have the potential. In the business world you would talk about an unused potential and therefore count this company as not well and not worthy an investment. Who stops by? Father Bill and drops off some coins. Get well soon, no, die tryin…
I don’t seem to gasp the issue yet or how the hell can the community be so quiet about it? Are there some lines I haven’t read yet that say “just a joke, its all fake and the contracts weren’t signed at all”.
Help me out. I need your comments on that one. If we get a loud discussion about open vs closed-drivers I want an even bigger one about patents because – it’s the same and diggs even deeper!!!
Filed under: Canonical, drivers, linux, Microsoft, Novell, open source, Red Hat | 2 Comments
Just in case you haven’t seen this:
http://www.markshuttleworth.com/archives/127
It looks like Microsoft is implementing a classic military: Divide and Conquer.
It’s moves sow disunity and fear in the FOSS camp. That is what they want. And this will drive away some users from FOSS. It won’t work for long, but it may cause some damage.