Comments on: Microsoft Wants to Charge $50 Per GNU/Linux Desktop

By: aeshna23

aeshna23 — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:27:12 +0000

Your purchase of “Intellectual Property Assurance” gives Microsoft the right to harass you:

“The above covenant is personal to any given Customer and is non-transferable. By necessity, the covenant is conditioned upon the Customer providing Microsoft, upon its request, with sufficient information to verify which copies of Client Offerings and Server Offerings are Covered Products subject to the covenant.”

By: Roy Schestowitz

Roy Schestowitz — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:09:08 +0000

I’ve just fixed the linkage.

By: Roy Schestowitz

Roy Schestowitz — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:35:11 +0000

2 years ago Steve Ballmer said: “I do think it [Novell deal] clearly establishes that open source is not free.”

By: Needs Sunlight

Needs Sunlight — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:04:45 +0000

That would explain the talking point floating around the MSFTer lately. They sagely add to conversations that “there is open source that costs money”.

By: aeshna23

aeshna23 — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:01:04 +0000

I’d be interested to learn if Xandros has sold any “Intellectual Property Assurance” for Microsoft. Perhaps, de Icaza wanted to give Xandros a test drive. And I suppose we lovingly share our human experience with many stupid people.

By: Roy Schestowitz

Roy Schestowitz — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:32:30 +0000

Oh, wait. They didn't. Nonetheless, it's good that I grabbed a screenshot because Xandros may change the page after the latest criticisms such as this one.

By: Roy Schestowitz

Roy Schestowitz — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:30:36 +0000

Yes, it’s rather peculiar.

By: Roy Schestowitz

Roy Schestowitz — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:28:37 +0000

They did!!

By: TaQ

TaQ — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:08:10 +0000

Seems that they removed/changed the page.

By: Darren

Darren — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:01:44 +0000

If you distribute a GPLv3 piece of software, doesn’t the patent clause kick in and protect everyone downstream as well?

By: Pedro

Pedro — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 09:58:43 +0000

Have you noticed the URL for the MS+Xandros thingie? It has “interop” in it, LOL

I can see the ad coming out of there:
«IP protection, the only true interoperationality you’ll ever see with 100% support from MS [you may see some other interop after the EU threatens; MS makes no promises about the exclusivity of such interop nor the extensionability of it.]»