Fortune Magazine has a detailed article examining Microsoft's relationship to free and open source software. Although the story reads mostly as a history of Microsoft, Linux, and GNU, there are a few interesting new tidbits, including the number of patents Microsoft claims Linux and other free software infringes on: 235.Microsoft holds thousands of patents for its software, and won't say exactly which bits of code violate which patents. But apparently the Linux kernel alone violates 42 patents, while the Linux graphical user interface infringes on another 65. Microsoft says Open Office violates 45 patents.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-14-2007 @ 8:54AM
Kevin Little said...
I like to pile on Microsoft as much as the next guy, but other software developers have been infringing on their patents for decades now. I'm not sure what the problem is though, theft or Microsoft has too tech patents.
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5-14-2007 @ 12:25PM
Eddie Van said...
Well, Dilly Dally, Shilly Shally, as if Microsoft does not infringe on others, how about their consumers, those of us that for at least 20 years that I know of have had to put up with shoddy software and being used as Beta Testers, all in the name of trying to get your product out before Apple, and if you would like to know the truth, that is whom they are all copy catin any way, Steve Jobs.
Microsoft now feels the pinch because of a huge drop in sales, so huge in fact they are almost giving away their software in other countrys, so I would only have this to say to Bill Gates, go Boo Hoo some where else, as for me its Jimmy Crack Corn and I don't care, Linux is the way for me.
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5-14-2007 @ 12:43PM
p-diddy said...
"break's 45 patents" ?? Breaks??
You infringe a patent, you do not "break" one.
yech.
-p-
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5-14-2007 @ 1:36PM
Gyp Joe said...
Everyting in software is a knock-off of something...
This is not news...
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5-14-2007 @ 1:37PM
James said...
So what they really mean is:
"HEADLINE: Software Patent system hopelessly broken. In other news: water wet; sun hot."
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5-14-2007 @ 1:37PM
Rich said...
That's just like my first year C++ class, when the prof assigned a small simple project for us to do. When we turned it in, he hauled up 4 people for cheating. He said their codes were identical and therefore they copied off one another. Variable names were different, but structure-wise they were the same. Nevermind the fact, the assignment required only about 20-25 lines of code and the class had 70 people in it.
Its silly and ridiculous and Microsoft would go broke if it sued everyone who "infringed" on their patents. Knowing those dumbasses they "patented" the window and the min,max and close button on the top.
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5-14-2007 @ 6:34PM
spencer.r said...
I think this is more Microsoft saying "We have software patents too." to any would be jumper's ons to the sudden surge of "lets sue Microsoft!" bandwagon that started up this year. Targeting linux was just a way to do it without calling out any one specific company or person
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