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[News] [Linux] Microsoft Patent Claims a "Public Relations Disaster", Novell's Damage Explained

Microsoft Steps Up Open-Source Battle

,----[ Quote ]
| "I'm stunned that after taking a number of seemingly positive steps
| vis-a-vis its thinking and strategy around open source, Microsoft has
| decided to blow away any bridges it built in a matter of weeks," long
| time Microsoft pundit Mary Jo Foley opined.
| 
| She noted that Microsoft's threat to sue had backfired, and pointed
| to a website that lists over 300 open-source supporters that are
| openly asking Microsoft to sue them over alleged patent infringement.
| 
| Microsoft is now in a tough predicament. Either it must stick to its
| guns, or attempt to back off and sweep what could become a public
| relations disaster under the rug.
`----

http://www.betanews.com/article/Microsoft_Steps_Up_OpenSource_Battle/1179859754

Also see this one great piece which talks about Novell:

Open source communities, adoption and the Microsoft-Novell deal

,----[ Quote ]
| So, I don't think Microsoft is going to grow the number of Linux
| users, at least not in a very big way. But they are in a position
| to cash in when their customers gradually turn more of their machines
| away from Microsoft and toward Linux. And this substitution strategy
| is not the crux of the Microsoft strategy. At the present time,
| Microsoft supports Wal-Mart by selling them coupons good for help
| from SUSE. Microsoft got these at no dollar cost simply by agreeing
| not to sue Novell over undisclosed patents that Microsoft implies
| are infringed by Linux. This parallels the SCO strategy: pay me
| and I'll leave you alone.
| 
| This is the heart of the matter. Microsoft frightens Wal-Mart intob
| ecoming a SUSE user, and makes everyone nervous about using Linux,
| for reasons that can't be clearly expressed and assessed. Since 
| Microsoft's patent claims against Linux are merely rumor, it can't
| hurt to repeat what is also merely rumor: that Microsoft is even 
| now quietly making the rounds among large companies and collecting
| tribute.
| 
| And there is more excitement to come: the word "collaboration"
| normally makes me think of Penguins. In this case, it reminds me
| of Vichy -- Novell will have an exclusive arrangement with
| Microsoft to work out real, genuine, patent-blessed
| interoperability with SUSE. Will other distros have access
| to this code?
| 
| Certainly, more interoperatibility between Microsoft and Linux
| software would help Linux spread. Samba and OpenOffice have been
| working on this for years. It's that Microsoft's "blessing" of
| SUSE as the only legitimate Linux is not the way to compete in
| the open source marketplace. The problem is not that Microsoft
| wants to sell services for the Linux in its customers' IT
| operations, or that Oracle wants to kick Red Hat out of its
| customers' shops. The problem is that Microsoft is competing
| not on service or convenience, but by softly breathing Fear,
| Uncertainty and Doubt over the entire Linux landscape. 
`----

http://searchenterpriselinux.techtarget.com/tip/0,289483,sid39_gci1251983,00.html

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