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[News] Ubuntu Founder Challenges Microsoft's FUD, Calls It Extortion

  • Subject: [News] Ubuntu Founder Challenges Microsoft's FUD, Calls It Extortion
  • From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Mon, 06 Aug 2007 22:36:05 +0100
  • Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.advocacy
  • Organization: Netscape / schestowitz.com
  • User-agent: KNode/0.10.4
Shuttleworth: Microsoft Fracturing the Open-Source Community

,----[ Quote ]
| "That's extortion and we should call it what it is," he said. "To say, as 
| [Microsoft CEO Steve] Ballmer did, that there is undisclosed balance sheet 
| liability, that's just extortion and we should refuse to get drawn into that 
| game. On the other side, if Microsoft is concerned about its intellectual 
| property, there is no one in the free software community that wants to 
| violate anyone's IP. Disclose the patents and we'll fix the code. 
| Alternatively, move on."      
| 
| Microsoft has said it does disclose which patents are being violated, but 
| only in one-on-one conversations with vendors. To Shuttleworth, that is not 
| disclosure, because patents are public documents.  
`----

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,2167193,00.asp?kc=EWRSS03129TX1K0000616

Microsoft has said that it cannot be specific because it's too much paperwork.
It said this to the Register. I can find the link.


Related:

[Mark Shuttleworth Interview]

,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft is asking people to pay them for patents, but they won't 
| say which ones. If a guy walks into a shop and says: "It's an 
| unsafe neighbourhood, why don't you pay me 20 bucks and I'll make 
| sure you're okay," that's illegal. It's racketeering. What Microsoft 
| is doing with intellectual property is exactly the same. It's a great 
| company and I have great admiration for it, but this was not a 
| well considered position.
| 
| So you wouldn't do a deal?
| 
| No, absolutely not. But the time will come when the folks at 
| Microsoft who have a clear vision for the company as a participant 
| in this community, rather than as a hostile antagonist, will win. 
`----

http://mybroadband.co.za/nephp/?m=show&id=6672

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