Pay Microsoft to use free software

[Frank]

"So the whole, 'We have a list and we're not telling you,' itself should tell you something," Torvalds said of Microsoft's stance in the Fortune story. And for good measure, he added: "Don't you think that if Microsoft actually had some really foolproof patent, they'd just tell us and go, 'nyaah, nyaah, nyaah!'"

If anything would get a response from Microsoft, it's probably the above.

 

[Frank]

In how far could this be a reaction to the low sales of Vista and Office 2007? It isn't their own fault, but the fault of Linux and OpenOffice?

And of course, Microsoft isn't very used to real competition anymore.

 

[pascal]

That Fortune article is funny: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fort...28/100033867/index.htm?postversion=2007051409

But he does break down the total number allegedly violated - 235 - into categories. He says that the Linux kernel - the deepest layer of the free operating system, which interacts most directly with the computer hardware - violates 42 Microsoft patents. The Linux graphical user interfaces - essentially, the way design elements like menus and toolbars are set up - run afoul of another 65, he claims. The Open Office suite of programs, which is analogous to Microsoft Office, infringes 45 more. E-mail programs infringe 15, while other assorted FOSS programs allegedly transgress 68.

42 patents infrigment for the OS´kernel alone

Probably they have patented the scheduler, dispatcher, dynamic priority, the process concept, etc...

 

[Bouncing Zabaglione Bros.]

That Fortune article is funny: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fort...28/100033867/index.htm?postversion=2007051409 42 patents infrigment for the OS´kernel alone

Probably they have patented the scheduler, dispatcher, dynamic priority, the process concept, etc...

It'll never go to court because all those "patents" would be thrown out on prior art - and then what would MS use to threaten big companies with?

It's just threats and extortion with lawyers instead of thugs with bats.