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Open-Source Leaders Call For Calm Over TomTom
,----[ Quote ]
| "They have not turned over a new leaf, and still remain insincere about their
| involvement in open source," Perens said.
|
| Making it plain, Perens said:
|
| "I don't believe Microsoft was ever attempting to be sincere. A perceived
| involvement in open source by Microsoft, along with highly paid mouthpieces
| like Novell to chime in for them, is giving Microsoft the ability to speak
| for open source in government circles, short-circuiting the legislation we
| need to defend ourselves from software patents or to establish a level
| playing field on which open source and proprietary software can compete
| fairly. That's their true interest."
|
| The answer is legislation, he said. Perens said legislation is needed
| to "clean out the software patent system. Developers need to be able to make
| and sell software without the threat of patent-related extortion. We must
| unite both proprietary and open-source developers - who are equally at risk -
| to work for this cause, if we're to have a hope of being heard by
| legislators."
`----
http://www.eweekeurope.co.uk/knowledge/open-source-leaders-call-for-calm-over-tomtom-309
Recent:
Microsoft sues TomTom over FAT patents
,----[ Quote ]
| The underlying strategy is very obvious: Make those patent licenses high
| enough to reduce the cost advantage of a Linux based OS over Windows CE and
| thereby demotivate companies from using Linux in the embedded world.
|
| This has so far happened behind closed doors, but if you google you can find
| a couple of strange press releases of Asian companies buying into those MS
| patent deals for Linux.
|
| [...]
|
| I myself, as well as numerous other people in the Free and Open Source world
| are asking themselves how this legal action fits into the
| Microsoft-proclaimed Free Software friendly strategy. As you can see now,
| that was nothing but vapor.
`----
http://laforge.gnumonks.org/weblog/2009/02/27/#20090227-microsoft_patent_lawsuit
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/platform/firmware/fatgen.mspx
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