Apparently Microsoft intends to put the thumb screws to open source /
linux. Thoughts? Could MS really stop open source? It seems to me it
might (1)ironically bite them in the ass by bringing awareness of
linux to the spotlight and (2)be like chopping the hair off a hydra,
more will simply spring up (i.e. if MS attacks a big distro for $$$,
other distros will simply surge ahead).

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortu.../28/100033867/

http://news.com.com/Report+Microsoft...3-6183437.html

>Apparently Microsoft intends to put the thumb screws to open source /
>linux. Thoughts? Could MS really stop open source? It seems to me it
>might (1)ironically bite them in the ass by bringing awareness of
>linux to the spotlight and (2)be like chopping the hair off a hydra,
>more will simply spring up (i.e. if MS attacks a big distro for $$$,
>other distros will simply surge ahead).
>
>http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortu.../28/100033867/
>
>http://news.com.com/Report+Microsoft...3-6183437.html

I think that Microsoft is showing its usual whinny self. Someone else
wants in on what they see as "their" market and boom Microsoft is
suing. I hope they lose big on this.

Cheers,
Colin

On May 14, 8:19 am, CMC <cmcon...@eastlink.ca> wrote:
> I think that Microsoft is showing its usual whinny self. Someone else
> wants in on what they see as "their" market and boom Microsoft is
> suing. I hope they lose big on this.

M$ and "Mr. G" could sure make for fun fodder for a Graphic Novel--
talk about the greediest corporation and person on the planet. When is
enough money, control of the masses, and depriving the poor of access
to technology fricken enough?! We need a superhero with a costume
spouting a large "L" or "GPL/GNU" zapping the evil corporation with
destructive lasers coming out of the superhero's eyes!
~Beowulf

beowulf@ancients.net wrote:

> On May 14, 8:19 am, CMC <cmcon...@eastlink.ca> wrote:
>> I think that Microsoft is showing its usual whinny self. Someone else
>> wants in on what they see as "their" market and boom Microsoft is
>> suing. I hope they lose big on this.
>
> M$ and "Mr. G" could sure make for fun fodder for a Graphic Novel--
> talk about the greediest corporation and person on the planet. When is
> enough money, control of the masses, and depriving the poor of access
> to technology fricken enough?! We need a superhero with a costume
> spouting a large "L" or "GPL/GNU" zapping the evil corporation with
> destructive lasers coming out of the superhero's eyes!
> ~Beowulf

sounds like MS is getting scared i mean vista is having a lot of problems
and linux has come on leaps and bonds in three years were MS has stood still
sucking money out of people. But hay how many people do you think can use
linux a MS user is brain dead.

On Mon, 14 May 2007 15:15:12 +0100, darklight wrote:


> sounds like MS is getting scared
Exactly. This is the beginning of the end.

Dan

beowulf@ancients.net wrote:
> Apparently Microsoft intends to put the thumb screws to open source /
> linux. Thoughts? Could MS really stop open source? It seems to me it
> might (1)ironically bite them in the ass by bringing awareness of
> linux to the spotlight and (2)be like chopping the hair off a hydra,
> more will simply spring up (i.e. if MS attacks a big distro for $$$,
> other distros will simply surge ahead).

Maybe they can do some harm over in US where you have those silly software
patents, while in Europe and China they will not succeed with a such trick.

As the opensource is available, the whole evidence part is in microsoft
showing their source code and somehow prove that they really was making the
code themselves and not "borrowing" the code in a illegal manner as they did
with the TCP/IP stack. Of course showing the source in court would make that
code public, so I think microsoft will have quite poor proof and should IMHO
even fail in the land of the crazy legal system.


--

//Aho

On May 14, 11:12 am, "J.O. Aho" <u...@example.net> wrote:
> Maybe they can do some harm over in US where you have those silly software
> patents...

Yes, the whole libdvdcss issue really irks me, so silly. To try and
tell me I can not use libdvdcss to play DVD movies that I legally
purchased--absurd, unjust.

Aho writes:
> Maybe they can do some harm over in US where you have those silly
> software patents...

And Japan.

> As the opensource is available, the whole evidence part is in microsoft
> showing their source code and somehow prove that they really was making
> the code themselves...

You confound patent and copyright. A patent infringement dispute is
settled by comparing the (already public) patent claims with the allegedly
infringing device (in this case the combination of some Free Software and a
computer). The patent owner's implementation of the patent is irrelevant.

> ...and not "borrowing" the code in a illegal manner as they did with the
> TCP/IP stack.

Microsoft did nothing illegal in using the BSD TCP/IP stack. It is
licensed under the BSD license which permits what they did.

> Of course showing the source in court would make that code public, so I
> think microsoft will have quite poor proof and should IMHO even fail in
> the land of the crazy legal system.

Again, Microsoft's source code is irrelevant. What is relevant is their
long delay in enforcing the patents despite knowing about the alleged
infringement and the likelihood that most or all will be ruled invalid due
to obviousness or prior art. You might want to learn a bit about legal
systems before judging them "crazy".
--
John Hasler
john@dhh.gt.org
Dancing Horse Hill
Elmwood, WI USA

beowulf writes:
> Yes, the whole libdvdcss issue really irks me, so silly.

That has nothing to do with software patents.
--
John Hasler
john@dhh.gt.org
Dancing Horse Hill
Elmwood, WI USA

On May 14, 11:41 am, John Hasler <j...@dhh.gt.org> wrote:
> beowulf writes:
> > Yes, the whole libdvdcss issue really irks me, so silly.
>
> That has nothing to do with software patents.

>From Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVD-Video
"The CSS has caused major problems for the inclusion of DVD players in
any open source operating systems, since open source player
implementations are not officially given access to the decryption keys
or license the patents involved in the CSS. ..."

beowulf@ancients.net wrote:

> Apparently Microsoft intends to put the thumb screws to open source /
> linux. Thoughts? Could MS really stop open source? It seems to me it
> might (1)ironically bite them in the ass by bringing awareness of
> linux to the spotlight and (2)be like chopping the hair off a hydra,
> more will simply spring up (i.e. if MS attacks a big distro for $$$,
> other distros will simply surge ahead).
>
>
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortu.../28/100033867/
>
>
http://news.com.com/Report+Microsoft...3-6183437.html

Microsoft failed in their backing of SCO - see www.groklaw.net

They are now trying the same thing directly. They've failed spectacularly
with their products, so are now trying to suppress the viable alternatives.

It is an obvious and stupid strategy.

C.

On Mon, 14 May 2007 13:19:24 +0000, CMC wrote:

>>Apparently Microsoft intends to put the thumb screws to open source /
>>linux. Thoughts? Could MS really stop open source? It seems to me it
>>might (1)ironically bite them in the ass by bringing awareness of
>>linux to the spotlight and (2)be like chopping the hair off a hydra,
>>more will simply spring up (i.e. if MS attacks a big distro for $$$,
>>other distros will simply surge ahead).
>>
>>http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortu.../28/100033867/
>>
>>http://news.com.com/Report+Microsoft...3-6183437.html
>
> I think that Microsoft is showing its usual whinny self. Someone else
> wants in on what they see as "their" market and boom Microsoft is
> suing. I hope they lose big on this.
>
> Cheers,
> Colin

You might recall that "Lindows" won every battle in court, but lost the
war because they could no longer afford to fight.
Microsoft stinks.
-Pete

On Mon, 14 May 2007 18:12:51 +0200, J.O. Aho wrote:

> beowulf@ancients.net wrote:
>> Apparently Microsoft intends to put the thumb screws to open source /
>> linux. Thoughts? Could MS really stop open source? It seems to me it
>> might (1)ironically bite them in the ass by bringing awareness of
>> linux to the spotlight and (2)be like chopping the hair off a hydra,
>> more will simply spring up (i.e. if MS attacks a big distro for $$$,
>> other distros will simply surge ahead).

BAD POINT. THEY CAN TAKE ON EVERY COMMERCIAL DISTRO ON EARTH

>
> Maybe they can do some harm over in US where you have those silly software
> patents, while in Europe and China they will not succeed with a such
> tric

VERY GOOD POINT!
I NEVER THOUGH I'D SAY IT, BUT THANK GOD FOR CHINA, INDIA,
RUSSIA, ETC.

k.
>
> As the opensource is available, the whole evidence part is in microsoft
> showing their source code and somehow prove that they really was making
> the code themselves and not "borrowing" the code in a illegal manner as
> they did with the TCP/IP stack. Of course showing the source in court
> would make that code public, so I think microsoft will have quite poor
> proof and should IMHO even fail in the land of the crazy legal system.
>

ACTUALLY, EVEN HERE THEY HAVE PAID FINES FOR THEIR MONOPOLISTIC PRACTICES
(REMEMBER NETSCAPE). GW BUSH LET THEM OFF THE HOOK. THE WHOLE ISSUE IS
THIS: CAN THEY BANKRUPT THEIR COMPETITORS THROUGH LITIGATION (REMEMBER THE
OLD "LINDOWS")?

Pete <Pete@nospam.com> writes:

> On Mon, 14 May 2007 13:19:24 +0000, CMC wrote:
>
>>>Apparently Microsoft intends to put the thumb screws to open source /
>>>linux. Thoughts? Could MS really stop open source? It seems to me it
>>>might (1)ironically bite them in the ass by bringing awareness of
>>>linux to the spotlight and (2)be like chopping the hair off a hydra,
>>>more will simply spring up (i.e. if MS attacks a big distro for $$$,
>>>other distros will simply surge ahead).
>>>
>>>http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortu.../28/100033867/
>>>
>>>http://news.com.com/Report+Microsoft...3-6183437.html
>>
>> I think that Microsoft is showing its usual whinny self. Someone else
>> wants in on what they see as "their" market and boom Microsoft is
>> suing. I hope they lose big on this.
>>
>> Cheers,
>> Colin
>
> You might recall that "Lindows" won every battle in court, but lost the
> war because they could no longer afford to fight.
> Microsoft stinks.

Microsoft certainly shares the blame, but I'd put the primary fault
at the feet of the U.S. legal system, which allows such tactics.

The system needs to be changed so that such decisions are based on
rule of law and reason rather than money.
--
% Randy Yates % "With time with what you've learned,
%% Fuquay-Varina, NC % they'll kiss the ground you walk
%%% 919-577-9882 % upon."
%%%% <yates@ieee.org> % '21st Century Man', *Time*, ELO
http://home.earthlink.net/~yatescr

Pete writes:
> You might recall that "Lindows" won every battle in court...

Not every battle. At least one European court ruled in Microsoft's favor.

> ...but lost the war because they could no longer afford to fight.

Roberts wasn't fighting the war you think he was. He settled for a
substantial amount of money.
--
John Hasler
john@dhh.gt.org
Dancing Horse Hill
Elmwood, WI USA