... the end is nigh! Microsoft's Linux patent licensing: now Casio signs up

[carey]

Microsoft has announced that Casio is the latest company to sign a licence for undisclosed patents for an undisclosed sum of money in a cross-licensing arrangement ... Microsoft has claimed that Linux infringes 235 of the company's patents but has not disclosed which ones and takes steps to avoid disclosure. Reportedly, when Microsoft approaches companies over claimed infringement of these patents, it requires that the company being approached signs an NDA before being told the details of the claims ... Although the terms are confidential, Microsoft and Casio have confirmed that Microsoft is to receive payments from Casio.

http://h-online.com/-1347350

IMHO, the nails are going into GNU/Linux' coffin. What to do? "Sleep with dogs, you catch fleas";

MS: Will you dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?
Torvalds & Co.: We'll be glad to!

In the end, I guess greed wins all. Poor Mr. Stallman. I hope I can find a worthwhile, free, gratis alternative to these 2 OS soon.

[khat17]

That is bad news. Anyways - I doubt they will stop the free and GNU movement.

[jamrock]

http://h-online.com/-1347350

IMHO, the nails are going into GNU/Linux' coffin.

I have been hearing this for some time now. However Linux is still here and growing.

BTW, whatever happened to SCO Unix?

[psilos]

SCO Unix still exists... I guess. The company was sold to UnXis but their former glory and lawsuit loving ways have crashed and burned. Majority of the user base moved onto Linux so they are more or less a has been. The numerous lawsuits against Novell, IBM, etc sealed their fate.

[Anubis]

http://h-online.com/-1347350

IMHO, the nails are going into GNU/Linux' coffin. What to do? "Sleep with dogs, you catch fleas";

MS: Will you dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?
Torvalds & Co.: We'll be glad to!

In the end, I guess greed wins all. Poor Mr. Stallman. I hope I can find a worthwhile, free, gratis alternative to these 2 OS soon.

Hhhmm so what does all of this mean in English?

[Flexx17]

Hhhmm so what does all of this mean in English?

+1...........................

[carey]

SCO Unix still exists... I guess. The company was sold to UnXis but their former glory and lawsuit loving ways have crashed and burned. Majority of the user base moved onto Linux so they are more or less a has been. The numerous lawsuits against Novell, IBM, etc sealed their fate.

I think the guy who was running SCO during the outbreak got sacked, scapegoated and charged with breach of ethics laws. He was involved in some market manipulation scheme, price fixing and some such.

Hhhmm so what does all of this mean in English?

It means I may be facing the same issues that plagued DVD players some time back with region coding and what-not. With all the hidden patents and such, there may be laws being broken that won't allow me to download and install a legally free OS because I live in a third world country where Veoh, Hulu etc. have blacklisted. Or I can't download that software to hook up my webcam to my TV card because it is some sort of licensing compatibility issue because now there is a watchdog in my kernel watching every little activity I am doing.

I know that is still not English. I am confuse-head!

[jamrock]

SCO Unix still exists... I guess. The company was sold to UnXis but their former glory and lawsuit loving ways have crashed and burned. Majority of the user base moved onto Linux so they are more or less a has been. The numerous lawsuits against Novell, IBM, etc sealed their fate.

Exactly.

We heard that they would bring about the death of Linux. Instead they crashed and burned. It is not so easy to kill Linux.

If there is code in Linux that breaches a patent, someone will rewrite the code.

Microsoft has claimed that Linux infringes 235 of the company's patents but has not disclosed which ones and takes steps to avoid disclosure. Reportedly, when Microsoft approaches companies over claimed infringement of these patents, it requires that the company being approached signs an NDA before being told the details of the claims.

Have you ever wondered why Microsoft doesn't want to let anyone know which patents are allegedly being breached?

[carey]

Exactly.

We heard that they would bring about the death of Linux. Instead they crashed and burned. It is not so easy to kill Linux.

If there is code in Linux that breaches a patent, someone will rewrite the code.



Have you ever wondered why Microsoft doesn't want to let anyone know which patents are allegedly being breached?

My skills are way inferior. Only those who can understand it, cross it. M$ ethics and business methods represent capitalism and the whole American way. You know like how all their national heroes are criminals (the ones I know about anyway)? If the roof rotten the floor going to go soon.

Besides, all the agreements that M$ signed to for GNU/Linux kernel collab were drafted by them. There is always a loophole somewhere. Just like M$ "refund fiasco". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_refund

[Anubis]

I think the guy who was running SCO during the outbreak got sacked, scapegoated and charged with breach of ethics laws. He was involved in some market manipulation scheme, price fixing and some such.
It means I may be facing the same issues that plagued DVD players some time back with region coding and what-not. With all the hidden patents and such, there may be laws being broken that won't allow me to download and install a legally free OS because I live in a third world country where Veoh, Hulu etc. have blacklisted. Or I can't download that software to hook up my webcam to my TV card because it is some sort of licensing compatibility issue because now there is a watchdog in my kernel watching every little activity I am doing.

I know that is still not English. I am confuse-head!

No that is English enough for me perhaps things that are suppose to be free may be restricted to certain set of individuals?