[GeeksAreSexy] Steve Ballmer and Linux: - Overclock.net

Arbiter419 · 02-02-09

Steve Ballmer and Linux: A love and hate story

Quote:

It seems that Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO, will never stop hitting the top of the open-source community’s head. Ballmer, during a press conference in London last week, renewed attacks that started a year ago against the world of the “open”.

According to Ballmer, Linux and open-source software users currently violate 235 patents that he claims Microsoft owns. We’re mainly talking about Linux’s kernel, its GUI, its messaging client, and OpenOffice.org.

The strangest part of all of this is that Novell isn’t targeted by these allegations anymore, most likely because of the deal they signed with Microsoft just months ago. This accord changed the nature of these attacks, and now, it seems that Microsoft has only one target: Red Hat.

“People who use Red Hat, at least in respect to our intellectual property, in a sense have an obligation to eventually compensate us,” Ballmer said at a company event last week in London.

I think it's more hate than love.

SOURCE:

http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/10/...nd-hate-story/

**Marin** · 02-02-09

Quote:

According to Ballmer, Linux and open-source software users currently violate 235 patents that he claims Microsoft owns.

Somebody please call the waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaambulance. He's the type of person who destroys progress.

Higgins · 02-02-09

Ballmer, theres a world outside you're little protective bubble where *gasp* people want to use something other than windows..

FallenFaux · 02-02-09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Higgins

Ballmer, theres a world outside you're little protective bubble where *gasp* people want to use something other than windows..

No where in the article does he say people should only use Windows, he's just claiming Red Hat violates Microsoft patents.

On another note, even if they did violate patents, whatever happened to "copyright infringement is the greatest form of flattery?"

Opeth07 · 02-02-09

Quote:

Originally Posted by FallenFaux

No where in the article does he say people should only use Windows, he's just claiming Red Hat violates Microsoft patents.

On another note, even if they did violate patents, whatever happened to "copyright infringement is the greatest form of flattery?"

its just another way to make money for them.

MikersSU · 02-02-09

I don't see why this hits such a sensitive chord. All large corporations do this - even if it seems and probably *is* petty.

On a bit of a related note, Apple's been posturing itself against Palm and its newest handset - the Pre. I wouldn't doubt a full blown lawsuit would be launched sometime before the release.

Oh, I wouldn't worry about open source. It's not going to disappear quietly into the night just because MS is *has been* gunning for it.

-iceblade^ · 02-03-09

from Novell to Red Hat

i start to wonder if Novell did the right thing considering at least IMO they are the 'soap dropper' of the GNU / Linux distro community...

Licht · 02-03-09

Then bring it to court and stop whining. If you have any truth behind this let it be validated and Linux sued out of existence. Otherwise get over it and make an OS so good no Linux fanboy would want to miss it.