03.22.12
Posted in Free/Libre Software, Patents at 2:43 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Summary: Mozilla demotes principles and surrenders to the conspiracy of software patent holders
For Mozilla, trust will be harder to re-earn now that it lost one of its principal FOSS proponents (Blizzard) and gave up to the MPEG-LA cartel, as we worried the other day.
As one person put it:
We suspected it, it’s now confirmed: #Mozilla has no balls.
Here is the sad news:
-
-
Mozilla has been resisting the H.264 video codec in Firefox for quite a while because it is “encumbered by patents.” But recently Mozilla walked that stance back a bit saying they were thinking about allowing the codec. Then today, Mitchell Baker posted an explanation of why the company will probably begin using it after all.
-
Mozilla’s initial attempt to help enable an open web without the patent-encumbered H.264 video codecs has failed. In my opinion, this is a sad day for the open web and a terrible precedent for Mozilla to set.
Mozilla had tried to get around using H.264 by using and supporting open web video formats. The problem is that content providers haven’t embraced the same model and more importantly, Google hasn’t either (even though they champion WebM, H.264 still runs on Android).
According to Mozilla CTO Brendan Eich, H.264 is absolutely required right now to compete on mobile.
Mozilla is not what it used to be, and that’s just sad. With the exception of this post, I never use Firefox to write posts anymore. KDE browsers are unlikely to ever do what Mozilla just did. █
Permalink
Send this to a friend
03.13.12
Posted in Asia, Free/Libre Software, Microsoft at 4:26 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Summary: The Free Software Foundation of India fights back against anti-competitive tactics from Microsoft
IN our recent posts about Microsoft’s EDGI in Tamil Nadu we called for regulatory action. Reports tell us that the “Free Software Foundation of India, an organisation involved in the promotion of the free use of software, sent an open letter to chief minister J Jayalalithaa seeking cancellation of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with Microsoft Inc.
“The MoU was signed on Tuesday to implement an IT programme for government school teachers with the help of software giant Microsoft. The open letter raised objection to the software developed by Microsoft. “Students and teachers involved in the project will not be able to see how the software works. If it develops a problem, they will not have the right to make corrections or modifications. They will have to depend on the company entirely. They will be denied the right to share the software with others,” the letter said.”
Here is a PDF version of the letter [PDF]. Folks involved with this complaint got in touch with Techrights and attached the Open letter by the Free Software Foundation of India to Selvi Jayalaita — a letter about proposal to adopt Microsoft’s proprietary software in schools.
Some external background links were also included, namely:
1. ttp://www.tehelka.com/story_main50.asp?filename=Ws101011MICROSOFT.asp
2. http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article2419753.ece
3. http://news.efytimes.com/e1/79976/Tamil-Nadu-Govt-Goes-AntiOpen-Source
4. http://www.thehindu.com/education/issues/article2423376.ece”
5. http://www.tn.gov.in/seithi_veliyeedu/pr06Mar12/pr060312_184.pdf
Older posts of ours about Tamil Nadu include [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. This is not over. People in India should fight back, there’s not much that can be done from here (the UK). █
Permalink
Send this to a friend
02.25.12
Posted in Free/Libre Software at 10:08 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Summary: The latest venture from OpenLogic, a firm managed by a former Microsoft guy who sells proprietary services (and FUD) around FOSS
This news article about OpenLogic is based on this press release that describes proprietary solutions to an open problem. Quoting the press release: “A flexible and open PaaS cloud solution, CloudSwing offers complete customizability, enabling application developers to quickly deploy and operate cloud platform stacks using any open source or proprietary components on the cloud of their choice. “
CloudSwing is not Free software. It’s Fog Computing on AWS or Rackspace. We are increasingly seeing this attempt to push Free software into Fog Computing — a trend that backers of the so-called 'think tank' would like to make a norm. █
Permalink
Send this to a friend
02.22.12
Posted in Deception, Free/Libre Software, Microsoft at 1:04 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Open Source Think Tank is to FOSS what Microsoft lobbyist Florian Müller is to FOSS
Summary: The “think tank” which claims to speak on behalf of Open Source is in fact organised and partly funded by foes of Open Source
CONTROLLING one’s opposition or competition is extremely powerful a tactic. In some industries, such as the beverages sector, companies use fake brands to make their own look more appealing or to drive up the prices, Sometimes a company might create or buy the anti-self so that even its opponents will become its own clients. In some circles, fake opposition is consciously used to make the opposed-to side look reasonable and reach an audience that otherwise would reject it as a matter of principle.
When Microsoft says that it “reaches out” to Open Source what it means to say is that it tries to change options that are “not proprietary” or “not Microsoft” to be both proprietary and Microsoft (or ‘open’ on top of proprietary). When Microsoft signed a deal with Novell it turned SUSE, a GNU/Linux distribution, into Ballnux, a distribution that makes Microsoft money. OpenSUSE is the marketing angle of this product (always less reliable and not suitable for production).
Last year we explained that something called a think tank for open source is in fact controlled by Black Duck with additional help from Microsoft. Those who promote it should be aware of it and perhaps add a cautionary disclaimer. Not that anyone does, as there are proxies at play:
Black Duck Software’s Olliance Group and DLA Piper have now announced core sponsors for the upcoming Open Source Think Tank 2012 conference. Adobe, Global Inventures, HP, Motorola, SAP and SugarCRM are all among the sponsors of the seventh annual conference, which promises to have some interesting keynotes and sessions. What’s more the event takes place in April, in Napa, California–one of the more beautiful locations for a conference. Interested attendees need to apply for invitations, which you can do here.
The “Open Source Think Tank” is not an Open Source event. It should not be treated as such, either. The name is deceiving.
Speaking of the hijacking of the term “Open Source”, recall what Microsoft did inside OpenStack and watch the Microsoft booster trying to promote proprietary Microsoft software inside this “Open” stack. They are polluting Open Source by means of deception and sooner or later we are left without a side — as the one that once existed is now occupied by FOSS foes. This way they win. They conquer both sides of the debate. █
Permalink
Send this to a friend
Posted in Apple, Free/Libre Software, Patents at 12:12 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Summary: A roundup of patent news with focus on Apple’s attack on FOSS projects, notably in the courtroom
PATENTS are still being used to push small players out of the market, as shown recently courtesy of Honeywell.
As we also showed some days ago, there is impact [1, 2, 3] on dentists. This was mentioned here some days ago when we stressed the human toll of patents. There are too many reports of software patents out there and they have a negative effect on the inclination to develop (this factor is rarely being taken into account in cost analyses). GCC and other examples of widely used Free software are always at the mercy of patent holders. This works well for those who can wield an axe while exploiting Free software – companies such as Apple, which hoarded KHTML and many other FOSS projects (before starting to attack FOSS with patent lawsuits).
It was only a matter of time really, especially given Apple’s arrogance. Watch what Apple is doing to CUPS right now. It’s not just technical sabotage but also legal sabotage. It helps nobody except Apple, the selfish company that promotes selfishness. “Software patents do create jobs for litigation lawyers and patent attorneys in Europe,” writes the FFII, which keeps emphasising that patents are not about innovation but about profit for very few people. Given Apple’s legal attacks on FOSS, lawyers’ blogs are providing tips for fellow patent lawyers. Paul Cole is not interested in innovation but only in ways of exploiting the EPO to extract money. To quote:
According to BBC News last Friday, Apple has succeeded in the German courts in enforcing a patent for a user interface feature for its mobile devices. The ruling demonstrates the value of European patents for “software” inventions where a “technical” effect can be demonstrated. The claims in the granted patents and the problems that they solve provide insight about what features of a user interface might be regarded as “technical” by the EPO. The advantages to a software developer of being able to patent innovative interface features that are important to the “look and feel” of the device and the software running on it are self-evident.
[...]
One take-away message for US applicants is the need to draft applications bearing in mind the exclusions under the EPC: stating as one of the main objects of the inventions “to provide more aesthetically pleasing operations” plays straight into the hands of an Examining Division or Appeal Board within the EPO and even if such objects can and should be stated, functional objects are best set out first. Another message is not to overlook the role of the human user in the invention: in the refused application the needs of the computer and the attractiveness of the micro-movie as a matter of shape were explained but what was necessary for the user to see the “micro-movie” and how long it should last were left unstated.
Meanwhile, over in China, Apple is shown for the hypocrite it is:
INTERNATIONAL LITIGATOR Apple could be faced with the prospect of a ban on its Ipads in China, after a lower court ruled in favour of Shenzhen Proview Technology.
Proview claims that it owns the rights to the Ipad name in China and wants a ban on sales of its rival’s device in the country. So far it has had some success in China, and now, according to a report at the Associated Press, it can claim another victory.
This is far from the first time Apple is accused of taking other companies’ names. But Apple and its followers just ignore the reality of inspiration and simultaneous discoveries/advancements. Apple created this illusion that it is a great innovator and that everything resembling an Apple product is just a ripoff, never mind prior art and Steve Jobs’ admission of copying others massively.
One thing that Android backers definitely did not copy from Apple is defective antennas, which even Apple with its hype machine can no longer cover up.
A few days ago we wrote about Apple's use of a "slide to lock" patent to try to ban Android devices. Apple has no shame and some of the press mocks Apple for it [1, 2, 3] although not sufficiently. One analysis shows why Apple’s patent should be considered invalid:
When I initially searched the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office database and Google Patents, I missed something very interesting in the war [1][2] between Apple, Inc. (AAPL) and Android’s “Big Three” — Google Inc.’s (GOOG) new acquisition Motorola, HTC Corp. (TPE:2498), and Samsung Electronics Comp., Ltd. (KS:005930) — regarding swipe-to-unlock intellectual property.
Neonode Inc. (NEON) appears to be the first to patent this technology, holding a claim I missed.
Currently, Apple is trying to embargo certain Android devices:
Apple raised the stakes in an intensifying global patent battle with Samsung Electronics by targeting the latest model using Google’s fast growing Android software, a move which may affect other Android phone makers.
Please boycott Apple and also explain to other people why Apple is an enemy of fair competition. There is nothing “magical” there. This sort of behaviour oughtn’t be tolerated, and not only because Android is based on Linux. This harms everyone in the market and outside of it (customers). █
Permalink
Send this to a friend
01.25.12
Posted in Free/Libre Software, Microsoft, Windows at 10:15 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
“I would love to see all open source innovation happen on top of Windows.”
–Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO
Image from Wikimedia
Summary: Microsoft is reportedly still working on tying FOSS to Microsoft Windows
Microsoft loves to “embrace” projects that pose a threat to Microsoft because what better way to eliminate competition than to control and subvert it?
Although it may be too early to jump to any conclusions, The H suggests that Microsoft gets its claws on Node.js, a popular FOSS project:
Cloud9, makers of the Cloud9 IDE, have announced that they will be working with Microsoft to allow Node.js applications created in the Cloud9 IDE to be deployed to Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform. The open source, event-driven, JavaScript-on-the-server Node.js platform was ported to Windows last year with the support of Microsoft.
Microsoft just wants everything to run on Windows, even if it’s FOSS. This is something to keep an eye on. █
Permalink
Send this to a friend
Posted in Free/Libre Software, FUD, Patents at 9:52 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Summary: How a process which produces monopolies or fear is being streamlined to potentially make the effects more severe
THE USPTO, a farce for the masses, has signed a contract to have some software supplied. The goal there seems to be to increase efficiency, i.e. grant even more patents (poor patents) more rapidly. Here’s to monopoly:
Science Applications International Corp. or SAIC (SAI) was granted a prime contract by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office or USPTO to provide software development integration and testing services in support of the USPTO’s Automated Information Systems. The multiple award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity or IDIQ contract has a one year base period of performance, four one-year options, and a total ceiling value of $525 million for all awardees, if all options are exercised. Work would be performed mainly in the National Capital Region or NCR.
Meanwhile, yet another automation system is presented which claims to be capable of finding FOSS inside a body of code or files, further helping the fear of FOSS along the lines of Black Duck and Protecode. To quote:
SourceSquare is graphically creative with a range of colors highlighting the various files on your system. It generates a direct line notation of where the Open Source files exist, and even more important, how much Open Source is on your system. The treemap visualization allows users to get a more detailed outline of all their files, with and without Open Source coding.
Whether it will be used to help FOSS or harm it remains to be seen, but it is Open Source and uses Java. We saw what OpenLogic was doing about it, usually just scaring users. Companies with Microsoft roots tend to do this. █
Permalink
Send this to a friend
01.10.12
Posted in Deception, Free/Libre Software, GPL, Microsoft at 11:41 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Pretending to be the bazaar, too
Summary: The alter-ego of Microsoft Corporation as seen in the news and in new “official” reports
THERE is a set of companies we sort of specialise in here at Techrights because they have a commonality. While pretending to serve FOSS they usually do the opposite.
Black Duck, a firm with Microsoft roots, gradually becomes the ‘expert’ in GPL (telling us it is declining) while joined by OpenLogic, a company with management from Microsoft, which reinforces the same message. If they control information, they will control minds. In this case, they can capture and control perception that FOSS developers have. GPL FUD is just on example and OpenLogic, the firm that reinforces the same message as Black Duck, now seeks to become the authority in what FOSS to use and what not to. As one article puts it:
The report ranks hot open-source projects in three key categories: Web and application servers; application frameworks; and databases and big data.
Too bad the source of the report is a company founded and control by a former Microsoft guy, eh? They always neglect to say this. Ohloh is another one (now owned by Black Duck).
Speaking of Microsoft talking heads/points, Ed Bott is at it again with his PR lies. Pogson responds by writings:
Ed knows better. He wrote, “Windows 7 has shipped a half-billion copies” since October 2009, 9 quarters, 55 million a quarter. IDC reports 80-90 million PCs per quarter produced. M$ is no longer getting a free ride, Ed. Get used to it. There are businesses that do give M$ a free ride but there are many governments, organizations and businesses that have seen the light and choose to avoid monopoly. Shopping around is the right way to do IT.
This lie goes back to Microsoft’s PR people and is echoed by their shills/MVPs. We need to be careful in the face of Microsoft’s Big Lies that it spreads via its allies. They are all just a matter of “perception management” as Microsoft calls it. We tackled those lies before. █
“Mind Control: To control mental output you have to control mental input. Take control of the channels by which developers receive information, then they can only think about the things you tell them. Thus, you control mindshare!”
–Microsoft, internal document [PDF]
Permalink
Send this to a friend
« Previous Page — « Previous entries « Previous Page · Next Page » Next entries » — Next Page »
