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____/ High Plains Thumper on Monday 05 Jul 2010 19:21 : \____
> [quote]
> April 29, 2010 - 12:33 P.M.
> Microsoft marches on Android and Linux
>
> For years, Microsoft has made patent threats against Linux. Mind you,
> Microsoft has never proven, or even attempted to prove, any of these
> claims. But that hasn't stopped Microsoft from using the threat of
> Linux patent lawsuit to force companies like Amazon into paying them
> off. Now, Microsoft has upped the ante. Microsoft has muscled mobile
> phone maker HTC into paying Microsoft off for patents that may apply
> to its Google Android-powered phones. In short, without actually
> proving that Linux is violating Microsoft's patents, the Redmond giant
> is 'taxing' companies for using Linux.
>
> [...]
>
> Jim Zemlin, executive director of The Linux Foundation, told me, "This
> is a classic from the Microsoft FUD playbook. A confidential agreement
> where few terms are disclosed, vaguely referring to an operating
> system that is beating Microsoft in the market. Microsoft is once
> again demonstrating that it will attempt to use patents to muddy the
> waters about the viability of any competitive platform in order to
> maintain its Windows franchise. Unfortunately for Microsoft, Linux is
> clearly leading in the mobile space and developers will see this news
> for what it is and choose to innovation open platforms as opposed to
> developing on locked-down operating systems from patent-wielding
> dinosaurs."
>
> Matt Asay, COO at Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, remarked that
> Microsoft, which has proven "an utter failure as a mobile product
> company, [is now trying] its hand as a mobile IP litigation company.
> Those who can, do. Those who can't, sue. This, to me, is the clearest
> indication of Microsoft's irrelevance: it's now the hapless litigant."
>
> Microsoft may be irrelevant in mobile phone operating systems, but I
> see them continuing to try to win a far larger battle: convincing
> corporate buyers that Linux is plagued with IP (intellectual property)
> problems and that they need to pay off Microsoft to use it safely.
> It's a battle they've been fighting for a long time now, starting with
> its support for SCO and its ridiculous Linux copyright lawsuits.
> They're no longer trying to fight directly, thus, they're not taking
> on Google, but by pushing companies that use Linux.
> [/quote]
>
> http://blogs.computerworld.com/16025/microsoft_marches_on_android_and_linux
Android has gotten both Microsoft and Apple envious. They don't know what to do
except extort and sue.
Linux is now in the process of becoming the dominant mobile platform (it's already
big in servers, HPC, embedded, and more).
Desktop dominance? It'll get there too. Linux is relatively young (1991 for the kernel, late 90s for
rich DEs).
- --
~~ Best of wishes
Don't ReBoot, BeRoot. -- adb
http://Schestowitz.com | Free as in Free Beer | PGP-Key: 0x74572E8E
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