Linonut wrote:
> After takin' a swig o' grog, BearItAll belched out this bit o' wisdom:
>
>>> Microsoft Issues Statement Concerning the GPLv3 and Novell Agreement
>>>
>>> ,----[ Quote ]
>>> | Microsoft issued the following statement concerning the GPLv3 and its
>>> | agreement with Novell:
>>> |
>>> | Microsoft is not a party to the GPLv3 license...
>>> `----
>
> They are if they start distributing code contributed under that license.
>
>>
http://www.linuxelectrons.com/news/linux/10565/microsoft-issues-statement-concerning-gplv3-novell-agreement
>>
>> You know the irony, I think that Bill Gates of years ago would have
>> welcomed GPLv3, it is the sort of direction he wanted things to go when
>> he was doing, not so much early Windows, but more with the other itmems
>> that MS were involved in, such as the development tools and maybe even
>> Office, he liked that developers could add ideas and functionality and of
>> cause add to the function libs, which now make up MS patents.
>
> Microsoft used to pamper developers (the hand that feeds them), and
> apparently they still do (as long as their using MS tools, that is).
>
> Now they want to cash in on developers using non-MS tools, it seems,
> using patents as a means of coercing them.
>
> So, if you are a developer using Microsoft tools, do you still feel
> safe? Will Microsoft not get you for patent violations as long as you're
> using their tools to do it?
>
I was in that lot you know, sent all of the new MS tools and things, I got
one sent to me just last year, the full Exterprise developer suite, all
totally free because of my work as programmer those years ago. It was a
very simmilar scenario to our UNIX ones, programmers sharing ideas and
code. No one had ever thought of patents for code, we all just put
everything in the basket, picked out those ideas etc that might help in the
current project, put it all back in when finished because that then helps
someone else. MS did it too, their's was always a touch more official,
because MS never wanted to have it's code seen unless it was perfectly
formed in readability terms. Remember 'Talk'? the UNIX version was about
two or three little functions about 2k in all, the MS version, exactly the
same functionality, had reeems of headers and help notes, was like trying
to read Shakespear.
But then some of the UNIX chaps were just as picky.
I honestly do not believe that MS at that time were preparing to steal, I
really do believe it was community work in exactly the same way as the UNIX
programming/IT communities. At least, that is what I keep saying and it is
what I want to believe, but I do sometimes have my doubts. After all, right
from day one MS took a deliberately anti-UNIX stance, very aggressive in
some ways.
When I'm up before Judge Judy, I'm not a lawyer, but I reckon that I can
easily wipe away those patents.
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