Microsoft Hates Open-Source: threats 235 patent violations
Filed under: News | By: John
Posted on: May 15, 2007 | 1 Comment
We all know that open-source software will have its problems and may not be squeaky clean like a lot of companies have to be but then hay it’s free so we consumers love it.
Now as the next version of the upcoming GNU General Public License is on it’s way Microsoft seem to be using a threat of 235 patent violations by the open-source software community in an aim to muddy the waters around the GNU General Public License.
Many people will have different opinions about this, but we wonder just how right Microsoft is with these open-source patent violations.
Brad Smith (Microsoft’s general counsel) gives facts and figures in an interview with Fortune which include:
- 68 Assorted free and open-source programs allegedly violate its patents
- E-mail programs violate 15 patents
- Open Office suite of programs infringes 45 patents
- Linux graphical user interfaces run afoul of another 65 patents
- Linux kernel violates 42 of its patents
This is a first for Microsoft to give numbers, I wonder what’s next.
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Microsoft hates open source because of the threat that it poses to the company’s future. Whereas most companies in the Enterprise Applications segment is moving towards a services oriented industry Microsoft is still bent on making money by selling software rather than services.
This is the problem and Microsoft is scared. The only thing different this time is Microsoft just can’t put the open source movement down - because in all aspects its a more attractive alternative.