08.12.10
Amazon EC2 Has Just Become Even More Infected With Microsoft ‘Patent Tax’ on Linux (Ballnux Added)
“That’s extortion and we should call it what it is. To say, as Ballmer did, that there is undisclosed balance sheet liability, that’s just extortion and we should refuse to get drawn into that game.”
–Mark Shuttleworth
Summary: Amazon creates a new type of relationship with Novell and the Microsoft executives-dominated VMware expands its relationship with Novell
SEVERAL months ago we called for a boycott against Amazon because, to use Glyn Moody’s words (headline), Amazon “sold Linux down the river” and decided to pay Microsoft for it (Amazon has other offences against software freedom, but this was the straw which broke this camel’s back).
As a recap, Microsoft will be paid for Amazon’s RHEL servers through Amazon (finding a trick to get past Red Hat’s refusal to sign outrageous patent deals) and also for Linux inside the Kindle. It is worth adding that it all happened after Amazon had hired several important executives from Microsoft, so this sellout was natural.
“Whether one chooses SUSE or any other operating system from Amazon (including RHEL and Windows), Microsoft will be paid.”According to this press release, Amazon is now adding Ballnux (SLES), which is already being taxed by Microsoft at Novell’s level. This was mentioned earlier, but the press release seems newer. It says that “Customers and independent software vendors (ISVs) of all sizes will have the ability to run SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 and 11 on Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) paying only for the hours they use.”
Whether one chooses SUSE or any other operating system from Amazon (including RHEL and Windows), Microsoft will be paid. It’s an injustice that needs to be addressed by refusing to do business with the Microsoft executives-filled Amazon. There are competitors to Amazon and they do not pay Microsoft for GNU/Linux.
Speaking of companies which hired several important executives from Microsoft, there is also VMware, whose deal with Novell (SUSE) is now being extended.
The dedicated Novell division at Workgroup has announced that VMware and Novell have expanded their strategic partnership with an original equipment manufacture (OEM) agreement through which VMware will distribute and support the SUSE Linux enterprise Server operating systems.
We wrote about VMware's relationship with Novell last month. These two companies only reinforce a ‘patent tax’ on GNU/Linux. Besides, VMware makes proprietary software and several of its competitors do not. It is worth remembering (and telling peers) which companies to avoid in order to make GNU/Linux stronger, as opposed to Microsoft’s own property. █
