Credit: JD Lasica, socialmedia.biz.

Summary: Marc Benioff denounces Microsoft after Microsoft decided to sue Salesforce for alleged infringement of software patents

Salesforce is known for many things, none of which is Microsoft affinity (unlike, for instance, the extensive use of GNU/Linux at Salesforce). We wrote about this subject in posts such as:

• Salesforce CEO: Microsoft is “Somewhat Disgusting”; Microsoft Smears of Free Software Carry on
• Salesforce CEO Compares Microsoft at Present to IBM in the 80s and 90s
• eWeek: “Salesforce Says No to Silverlight”

Earlier this week we wrote about the Salesforce lawsuit (Microsoft sued Salesforce with software patents) and finally we see the response from Marc Benioff:

Let’s roll the transcript. Benioff was asked about Microsoft’s lawsuit and whether it had any impact on Salesforce.com’s business. Technically, Benioff was just asked about “the lawsuit,” but it was clear that the Microsoft patent move was the subject. Benioff said the lawsuit wouldn’t derail the company’s focus and added:

I should just say right off the bat, we can’t comment on pending litigation. The reality is that these patent trolls are unfortunately just part of doing business and technology these days. They’re basically the alley thugs. Every thriving economy has alley thugs and we do too. And that’s fine. You know?

Personally, I’m just disappointed to see this from a former leader of our industry, but it’s eminently resolvable and it’s not material to our day-to-day business. It’s basically a no-impact situation. It’s not something that I think anyone needs to make anything of.

I think it probably has more ramifications for other cloud vendors than it honestly does for us because we’re so — we’re strong. And a lot of other cloud CEO’s have been contacting me and my heart goes out to them. Because I feel like that’s the real impact is that if you go through it, you can see where this is going. And there’s obviously a next step here and it’s not about us, it’s about others.

So that’s my unfortunate commentary on the state of our industry. It’s just what’s going on in our industry.

Microsoft's racketeering [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7] is indicative of a poor state. Software patents should be ruled illegal, unless of course Microsoft is named illegal for its distasteful behaviour which continues to this date. The "new Microsoft" is a bully, or an "alley thug" as Benioff put it. ⬆

"Microsoft retaliated against industry participants that supported DR-DOS. For example, when Z-Nix Inc. bundled DR-DOS 6.0 and Microsoft Windows 3.1, proclaiming no incompatibilities, Microsoft’s Brad Silverberg wrote: "look what znix is doing! cut those fuckers off." Within three weeks, Microsoft demanded an audit of Z-Nix’s entire business and then commenced a copyright and trademark infringement action. Z-Nix was forced to file for bankruptcy in or around 1995"

--Comes Petition [PDF]