[kwlug disc.] microsoft 235 patents

[Richard Weait]

On 5/14/07, Paul Nijjar <pnijjar at sdf.lonestar.org> wrote:
> On Mon, 14 May 2007, Chris Bruner wrote:
> >
> > I think SCO was the warm up. The real crash and burn is just appearing over
> > the horizon.
>
>         As quoted in the article:
>
> "It's a tinderbox. Patent law's
> going to be the terrain on
> which a big piece of the war's
> going to be fought. Waterloo is
> here some where." --Eben
> Moglen, Executive director,
> Software Freedom Law Center

  There is a nice article on Groklaw (groklaw.net) that outlines why
the Microsoft claim is "hot air".  Among the reasons; a recent US
Supreme court decision has reduced patent strength, how anti-trust law
trumps patent law, the implied patent license in the GPL now that
Microsoft is a Linux distributor through the Novell deal, and others.

  Go to Groklaw for informed discussion on this topic and the uncanny
resemblance to The SCO Group's chosen method of self-immolation.