At http://www.distrowatch.com openSUSE now ranks second behind Ubuntu. Not bad. Fedora ranks 4th.

Note: comment has been flagged for arriving from a possible incarnation of a known (eet), pseudonymous, forever-nymshifting, abusive Internet troll that posts from open proxies and relays around the world.

Note: comment has been flagged for arriving from a possible incarnation of a known (eet), pseudonymous, forever-nymshifting, abusive Internet troll that posts from open proxies and relays around the world.

They can sue anyone: a user, a distributor, seller it doesn’t mind. It’s fair game. A round of applause to the close minded individuals that write laws…

And if they are knowingly infringing it’s worse: read this from “http://www.air2water.net/legal.html”

“Contributory infringement can be committed by knowingly selling or supplying an item for which the only use is in connection with a patented invention. Good faith or ignorance is no defense for direct infringement, but it can be for indirect or contributory infringement.

Knowingly infringing on a patented his willful infringement and subject of triple damages and legal fees and maybe punitive damages.”

Microsoft has put everyone on notice: the only safe place is “Novell/Microsoft”. Please thank Novell for this.

Microsoft will sooner or later buy/merge with Novell. This is a thing that many inside Novell want from Ron to Miguel.

I just want to see how the developers will react. Will contribute to something that only Micronell can safely “sell”. Will they fall for the “non-commercial/hobbyist developer”.

I’m not a lawyer, but AFAIK, there is a law that has to do with public discrimination (the FUD campaign).

Yes, it applies in Germany. I can find you the relevant Web page (in German) if you are interested.

The other thing is mono, Moonlight and OOXML translators, are all Novells ‘Invervations’, which means that Red Hat is not the inventor, so it’s only Novell who will get sued.

Alex is right on this one.

In general, you don’t need to have invented/written/created something to be sued over patent infringement. If Red Hat distribute Mono, and Microsoft decide they think Mono infringes one of their patents, they are quite within their rights to sue Red Hat.

Of course, if they do that, then Novell/OIN must counter-sue Microsoft and stuff gets interesting

It doesn’t need to actually test its claims in court,

I’m not a lawyer, but AFAIK, there is a law that has to do with public discrimination (the FUD campaign). Which is what Microsoft is doing to Linux. Also we have the EU that will say something when they decide to take it to court. Their already on Microsoft’s back about the ODF implementation.