Linspire, Microsoft in Linux-related deal
,----[ Quote ]
| Linspire Inc. on June 14 will announce an agreement to license VoIP,
| Windows Media, and TrueType font technology from Microsoft for use in its
| Linux distribution. Additionally, the deal includes protection for Linspire
| customers against possible violations of Microsoft patents by Linux, and
| other cooperative measures.
|
| [...]
|
| Another area of cooperation will be on technology for interoperability
| between documents stored in OpenXML and the Open Document Format, as in the
| Xandros/Microsoft agreement announced on June 5.
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http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS9642338710.html
No surprise there. Only the Windows-loving companies bend Microsoft's way and
grab Microsoft's money. Red Hat and Mandrake will never accept this.
Community distros are not even a possibility, but it's all about creating
more FUD, manipulating document format decisions, and messing about with the
EU and its rulings.
Last week:
[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.
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http://mybroadband.co.za/nephp/?m=show&id=6672
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