Steve Ballmer seriously needs to learn something... Who's up for a PLUG-sponsored trip to Washington to jump Steve Ballmer? :D > moin moin, > > Microsoft hasn't come through on what patents are being used because once > they do it will be shown that Microsoft is wrong about the patent use ( > invalid patents, patents not actually being used, etc. ) or the Free > Software community will work around the patents. > > Maybe software patents will even finally be thrown out. Software patents > aren't valid in Europe, China or India[0], so the Microsoft claims is > holding back the US economy and ceding an innovative advantage to other > countries. > > The purpose of patents is to keep others from using the patents. Microsoft > not saying which patents are being infringed interferes with the Free > Software community removing any offending code. The Free Software > community tries to abide by copyright and patent law. Microsoft has been > sued multiple times for specific copyright infringement[1]. It needs to > list specific patent infringements or stop whining. > > "Microsoft's explanation is that this balancing payment was calculated > as it would be in any cross-licensing deal: Novell has valuable > network-computing patents that Microsoft products may infringe, and > since Microsoft's products bring in so much more revenue than Novell's, > Microsoft owed a balance.[2]" > > Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer says, "What's fair is fair.[2]" Interesting > phrase from the CEO of a company that 1) has been convicted multiple times > of illegally maintaining a monopoly[3], 2) has successfully sued multiple > times for copyright infringement, 3) admits it has infringed on patents > from others. > > And, of course, groklaw already has something better than what I can come > up with[4]. > > Gotta love, "4. What kind of companies threaten to hurt you if you don't > pay them protection money? Do you want to do business with that type of > company? Can Microsoft risk that inevitable reaction?" > > [0] Any other countries that should be listed? What countries do allow > software patents? > > [1] Anyone got a list of the copyright infringement suits m$ has lost? > > [2] > http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2007/05/28/100033867/index.htm > > [3] Anyone got a list of the specific convictions and a listing of how > they've > > [4] http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20070513234519615 > > ciao, > > der.hans > -- > # https://www.LuftHans.com/ http://www.CiscoLearning.org/ > # veni, vidi, wiki - I came, I saw, I documented > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change you mail settings: > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > --------------------------------------------------- PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change you mail settings: http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss