11.08.08

LG Tops Microsoft ‘s Linux Patent Deal with Memorandum of Understanding

Posted in Deals, GNU/Linux, Hardware, LG, Microsoft, Novell, OpenSUSE at 1:10 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

LG knowingly betrayed Free software developers by signing an evil deal with Microsoft — one that involves Linux and patents. More information about this can be found here. According to a news report, this pair of companies is growing even closer now.

LG Electronics (LG) and Microsoft have announced the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to form a strategic collaboration in mobile convergence.

The agreement was signed in Korea by Yong Nam, vice-chairman and CEO of LG Electronics and Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft.

Welcome yet another Memorandum of Understanding? These are nasty anti-competitive deals, recent examples of which we have given in:

These deals are foolish and they establish little more than distrust. Novell probably learned this the hard way. Jason Perlow mentioned OpenSUSE several days ago, but his post is much broader in terms of scope and it also states:

[I]t’s unlikely that with Novell’s existing alliance with Microsoft that OpenSUSE will be the end-user free distribution of choice to promote to everyone.

Deals with Microsoft are a repellent. The company is constantly attacking people’s freedom, so where’s the surprise? █

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7 Comments

pcolon said,

November 8, 2008 at 2:39 pm

I would have to get a better understanding of what a MoU is, but any agreement signed in what appears to be collusion sounds bad. LG manufactures inexpensive computing peripherals, e.g. dvd’s. Just messing with the region settings, which seems to be a form of DRM on that device, can render it useless.
Eruaran said,

November 8, 2008 at 11:43 pm

LG thinks entering into a deal with Microflop will help it a competitive mobile market where software competitors include platforms like Symbian, Mobile Linux, Android, and Apple’s own software/hardware juggernaut.

I think not.
ricardo nunes said,

November 9, 2008 at 12:49 am

hi all,

and you forgot the portuguese memorandos signed by our prime minister Sócrates and ballmer last month.

http://ovigia.wordpress.com/2008/10/03/hoje-e-dia-do-governo-baixar-as-calcinhas/

rjnunes
Linux said,

November 9, 2008 at 12:51 am

http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2007/09/19/antitrust-law-armageddon-thomas-barnett-v-neelie-kroes/

http://www.netrootsmass.net/2008/09/190-thomas-barnett-anti-trust-division-justice/

@Thomas Barnett -> the same guy who nixed the Google Yahoo deal.

It looks like presiding over the death of the Yahoo-Google ad deal will be one of the final acts of Thomas Barnett, the Assistant Attorney General who headed the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division since June 2005. Barnett announced his resignation today, effective Nov. 19.
Roy Schestowitz said,

November 9, 2008 at 3:09 am

We never really forgot about what Microsoft did in Portugal.

About Thomas Barnett, see this. It’s sad that even the department of Justice has been corrupted (by Microsoft) for years (since the late 90s). There are seniors who admit this too (openly)
bobo said,

November 9, 2008 at 1:16 pm

Do you have a page somewhere here listing all the companies that have signed similar deals, with explanations?

It would be useful for us readers, and might also cause those companies to think twice before they consider making other similar deals.
Roy Schestowitz said,

November 9, 2008 at 2:28 pm

bobo,

I’ve put all the names here.