[Sussex] Five Reasons Why Microsoft Will Not Sue Linux {Was: It had to happen]

[Andrew Guard]

Steven Dobson wrote:
> Hi guys
> 4). Counter patient claims could be crippling.
> 
> Because of the way software patients are written Microsoft does hold
> patients that Linux infringes, but the reverse is also true.
> Microsoft's Windows infringes patients held by Sun for Solaria, IBM for
> AIX/Dynix, WindRiver for VxWorks.
> 
> If Microsoft lost a significant number of these claims then it could
> find itself paying out more in license fees to third parties then it
> made on each Window's sale, and the settlement over past Windows sales
> would probably stay in the Guinness Book of World Records for all time.
> 
> I kinda like the idea of Microsoft having to pay for that copy of
> Windows that came "free" with my laptop and I never used.
> 

Do not forget it would turn out to be a all out war.  So people will 
start suing them for anything and everything.

They might not be able to sue them on issue with Windows. Microsoft is 
in dangers position as there bound to be patents that are being 
infringed ie it could effect Office, Visual Studio, Media player, 
Windows Messenger Live (MSN), All Microsoft Web site's, Microsoft 
Mouses/Keyboards, XBox etc ... (Tick, tick)

The one who has received the most new patents in the world is not 
Microsoft there not even in the top 10 they are there nowhere to be 
seen.  IBM receives more patents then anyone else.  This something IBM 
has been number 1 at for 13 years now.

http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/speeches/06-03.htm
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/speeches/05-03.htm


> 5). A Microsoft win would adversely effect the US economy.
> 
> If using Linux in the USA incurs a new tax then this will only make US
> companies less competitive to their international counterparts.  So ask
> yourself these questions:
> 
> a). How many of the web servers on the Internet that run Linux are
> located in the USA?
> 
> b). How many of these could be re-located off-short (to the EU or
> India)?

Or Candida.

> c). How many of the Fortune 500 companies would find it cheaper to lobby
> Congress to repeal the current US Software Patient laws and replaces
> them with something more suitable to their business?
> 
> This deal between Novell and Microsoft, has not increased the risk of
> Microsoft suing Linux one bit.  It's a business move nothing more
> nothing less.

Microsoft has a problem, how many times can you reinvent the wheel. 
What real feature is missing in there products?  If you have office 2003 
why upgrade, what is missing?

Vista is basically an locked down version of XP, with some visual 
effects toys.  Microsoft will say it more secure and more reliable but 
they have been say that with each new version of windows since 95.