09.17.21
Posted in Deception, IBM at 6:21 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Video download link | md5sum 2fce460539288ff87cc2b2a19407d1d0
Summary: A combination of brain drain (exodus) and layoffs (a lack of budget combined with inability to retain talent or attract the necessary staff with sufficiently competitive salaries) dooms IBM; but the media won’t be mentioning it, partly because a lot of it is still directly sponsored by IBM
SOME weeks ago we wrote about ongoing IBM layoffs and the conspicuous lack of media coverage (“Media Is Not Mentioning Those Layoffs At All”).
It’s not hard to find out what goes on behind the scenes, based on insiders or many threads like this ones with legitimate comments. It is possible to learn a lot if occasional trolls can be ignored/skipped (they do exist) and links are occasionally added, so one can moreover corroborate.
Based on stories told, IBM is offering existing employees some money just to leave of their own volition, making these layoffs or sacking numbers seem smaller (voluntary departures, or an exodus). Contrariwise, in some cases they pay vast amounts of money just to keep onboard key or strategic employees (usually managers) who wish to flee the company because they see no future to it. It is a sinking ship.
“It’s very important for those of us who remember which company makes all the decisions at Red Hat.”As the old saying goes, the truth is somewhere ‘in between’, but no doubt there are profound issues at IBM and even a crisis — one that media shies away from covering. It’s very important for those of us who remember which company makes all the decisions at Red Hat. █
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09.15.21
Posted in Deception, Finance, IBM, Intellectual Monopoly, OIN, Patents at 9:41 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Video download link | md5sum 93f0af36dc02563b8b0cf0931164c1b7
Summary: Square is joining OIN, but it’s another example of banking/financial institutions choosing to coexist with software patents instead of putting an end to them
THIS video concerns the latest high-profile OIN addition. We’ve assessed not press releases but promotional puff pieces from Microsoft-centric sites [1, 2] that favour corporate front groups such as LOT, OIN, and Linux Foundation. They make no effort to question the proposed approach; instead, it is akin to a press release in quasi-interview form.
“OIN itself isn’t evil, but it misleads people by offering the wrong solutions to the community while mostly serving the interests of companies looking to ‘bag’ the community’s work (or privatise it).”We don’t wish to start with all the basics and the history of OIN. We did several videos about it earlier this year, there’s lots more in the wiki, and 188 articles in the OIN category of this blog. OIN itself isn’t evil, but it misleads people by offering the wrong solutions to the community while mostly serving the interests of companies looking to ‘bag’ the community’s work (or privatise it).
Cryptocurrencies are a pollution-related problem, but they’re not inherently evil, either. Patents remain a potent threat to them and we’ve named some of the blockchain patent trolls (they sent nasty and threatening messages to us).
Cryptocurrency companies need to work to abolish software patents, not flock to join the likes of OIN. There’s not much OIN can do to protect them from patent trolls. █
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09.10.21
Posted in America, Google, IBM, Patents at 5:42 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
In the EPO (Europe), the regime is an aggressive dictatorship of corporations and litigation giants, served by António Campinos and Benoît Battistelli; in the US, it’s the corporations themselves
Where are the civil servants?
Summary: It’s hard to swallow the idea (myth, fiction) that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office protects the ‘small person’ when it’s run by Mr. Iancu, an old Trump associate (protecting a high-profile fraud), preceded by Mr. Kappos (Microsoft and IBM lobbyist) and Michelle Lee (Google)
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Posted in Deception, IBM, Microsoft, Patents at 5:21 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
August (background): U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Has a Deep Revolving Doors Crisis (Former Officials Cashing in as Lobbyists and Private Sector Actors)
Castles and fortresses of lawyers won’t turn in their own
Summary: David Kappos is still active, he’s still lobbying for software patents (IBM and Microsoft pay him to do this), so we’re reporting him for conflict of interest (DC Bar, California Bar, and the New York State Bar Association)
THE other day we wrote about a bar complaint against Kappos, filed by a GNU/Linux user who was appalled by the Office requiring Microsoft formats, operating systems and so on. What made this more severe is the close ties — ongoing ties — between IBM and Kappos, who was at one point the head of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) along with someone from Microsoft. Nowadays Kappos is a lobbyist of both IBM and Microsoft, lobbying in favour of software patents for the most part (even exploiting the pandemic to push that nefarious agenda, as if patents on software will miraculously make a virus go away).
“Nowadays Kappos is a lobbyist of both IBM and Microsoft, lobbying in favour of software patents for the most part (even exploiting the pandemic to push that nefarious agenda, as if patents on software will miraculously make a virus go away).”Earlier this week we received an update about this bar complaint against Kappos. The interesting part seems to be the persistent insistence that proprietary systems should be used. As our reader explained: “I’m trying to file electronically with the DC Bar, and the complaint form has 5 sections, and it won’t allow me to advance past the 3rd section: Complaint Information. Most likely, the website doesn’t work, because they don’t want to receive any complaints. Or, maybe it knows I’m using Linux. So, I can print out a form and file through the post.”
“New York actually has a rule [PDF] about “prolong[ing] the proceeding or…caus[ing] needless expense.” Which is exactly what Kappos did. RULE 3.2. Delay of Litigation – In representing a client [he was representing IBM while at the USPTO, and Microsoft, too], a lawyer shall not use means that have no substantial purpose other than to delay or prolong the proceeding or to cause needless expense.”
“New York has an on-line form you can complete and scan and then submit by e-mail, but they also require a paper submission.” [PDF]
“Last week, as we’ve mentioned here before, a complaint was successfully filed in California (after the rules had been studied).”“Given that the US system is so decrepit, and still relies on paper and post, it might be interesting to see how the lawyers deal with Kappos, and his “anti-paper, anti-post” dictatorship at the USPTO. Of course, lawyers protect themselves, so I don’t really expect them to do anything.”
Last week, as we’ve mentioned here before, a complaint was successfully filed in California (after the rules had been studied). But they managed to find a convenient formality by which to toss it out. Ignoring all substance.
“It didn’t take California long to come up with a reason to protect Kappos,” our reader said. “They used the statute of limitation excuse, saying they can’t investigate things that are more than five years old. They were so fast because they would only have to read the first page of my complaint to see that Kappos’s confirmation hearing was in 2009, and they probably stopped reading there.”
“We’ll try to document all those endeavours.”“Maybe I’ll try to argue with them. When I file complaints with New York and Washington, DC, I’ll make some changes to try to eliminate the statute of limitation issue. Won’t work, but why stop now.”
These complaints help make a point and, shall they not be successful among the “protectors”, in the public arena they can help sway opinion. We’ll try to document all those endeavours.
Of course here in Europe we have an issue with EPO immunity; the US doesn’t work the same way and Directors — both past and present — get sued all the time, including Michelle Lee quite recently. █
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09.07.21
Posted in America, GNU/Linux, IBM, Microsoft, Patents at 9:50 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Old monopolies and current monopolies want more than just patent monopolies
Image sourced from “The Hidden Nazi History of IBM and how they chose profit over morality“
Summary: For a number of decades the USPTO has been discriminating against GNU/Linux users and for a number of years it has been pushing “Microsoft tax” (applicants must pay more if they don’t use Microsoft’s proprietary formats); some people challenge this culture of vendor capture inside the USPTO
LAST month we wrote about issues associated with past staff of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) which now works in the lobbying sector, in effect trying to shape the law for large clients like IBM and Microsoft. Among the objectives: extinguishing 35 U.S.C. § 101 and bringing back software patents. Last year we showed that an IBM lobbyist (paid millions by IBM) “Used COVID-19 Lies to Push for Software Patents From the Back Door, Undermining What Courts Have Determined” (even the highest court); not even the EPO had gone that far in promotion of software patents.
“We have many readers who use GNU/Linux, but we’re not sure how many of them interact with patent offices.”Earlier this year we mentioned how those same people misused the USPTO to reinforce Microsoft’s monopoly. One of our readers has had enough and is taking action [PDF]. Bar complaint against Kappos was submitted the other day. “I filed a bar complaint against Kappos in California,” a reader told us, where he’s a member of the bar. I’ll file complaints in New York and Washington, DC, too – where he is also a member – but it seems to be a little more difficult than in California.”
“I will be very surprised if anything is done about my complaint. But, if they go so far as to contact Kappos about the complaint, it will have been worth it.
“The issue I attacked him on is the “Electronic Filing Incentive.” You can read about it in the attached pdf.
“I live in rural West Virginia, so I have only been on the internet for 7-8 years, and, before that, I filed my applications through the post. No problem, until Kappos came along, and tried to force everybody to buy Microsoft and Lenovo.
“At first, I used Windows – like everybody – but I bought Windows 8, which was junk, and I discovered Linux, which I’ve been using for probably about 7 years.
“Most of the people at the USPTO are lawyers, it seems, and they are creating “barriers” – as described in my pdf – against Linux users.
“Maybe somebody could file bar complaints against lawyers in the USPTO because of the barrier against Linux, using the complaint in my pdf as a guide. It would require some research to identify the lawyers, and then find out where their bar membership is: which state(s), and maybe Washington, DC.
“I can’t do it. I use Linux, but don’t really have the technical knowledge to make a strong complaint. Maybe you know somebody who could do it.”
We have many readers who use GNU/Linux, but we’re not sure how many of them interact with patent offices. Nevertheless, any action against behaviour such as this can only potentially improve things. We need to make ourselves noticeable/heard. Otherwise, systematic discrimination will carry on, reinforced by people whose top clients are proprietary software giants that pursue loads of software patents. █
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08.28.21
Posted in Free/Libre Software, FSF, GNU/Linux, IBM at 9:03 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Video download link | md5sum 4f3d350031f416754e17a6c0008e4bf5
Summary: IBM is in a really bad state, even if the media fails to report on the matter; the video above (and post below, composed afterwards to accompany the video) takes stock of recent developments and what they mean to the future of the decreasingly “big” blue
The poor if not utterly appalling attitude of IBM, an arrogant strategy which wrongly assumes that IBM is “too big to fail”, is definitely going to fail IBM; many people already leave in droves (an exodus, never mind the layoffs), making recovery or rebound improbable and maybe infeasible.
“Isn’t it funny that the same companies which are working hard to ban/remove the word “master” are themselves treating people — even volunteers — like slaves (with masters being those conceited, self-righteous companies)?”Last week we wrote about Fedora blacklisting Persians; several other people have pointed out the same thing, albeit in harsher terms than ours (comparing Fedora/IBM to Hitler, which means suppressed IBM truths). As a matter of policy, Techrights cannot recommend GNU/Linux distros from IBM anymore; RHEL 8-based distros/clones are OK and the same is true for Arch Linux, Debian, Gentoo etc. (not Ubuntu though) because those who master the distros matter more than the underlying technical details. Isn’t it funny that the same companies which are working hard to ban/remove the word “master” are themselves treating people — even volunteers — like slaves (with masters being those conceited, self-righteous companies*)?
This morning we published "5 Months Later People Still Remove Their Names From the Slanderous Anti-RMS Petition, Managed by IBM Staff" (related to "IBM is NOT a Friend of Free Software"). We’ve added this to examples of IBM “Attacking Communities/Volunteers” examples (see our IBM wiki). It’s mostly visual with names occluded (it’s nothing personal!) because the paymaster is what matters. A lot of people do what they’re told by their bosses because they want to pay the bills (or a massive mortgage they should never have taken in the first place).
“The severe issues associated with staff morale cannot be overcome; it’s years too late already and the attacks on the founder of GNU/Linux are going to make it very difficult to hire geeks.”Today we discuss the defamatory letter crafted more than 5 months ago by IBM-funded front groups that still want to weaken the Free Software Foundation by taking away its founder and its copyrights (GNU Project copyright assignments) because IBM — unlike Red Hat — does not seem to understand how copyleft works (which would help explain the self-harming decision to abandon CentOS users). Based on what IBM and insiders write anonymously online, IBM has no future, only lots more layoffs. It has a very severe staff retention crisis and it is unable to recruit the necessary talent. IBM, once the sole giant of computing, is now worth less than AMD and SAP; it’s trying to split the company to manufacture an illusion of growth (profitability has been down by about 50% in the past half a decade alone), but that’s just classic ‘creative accounting’ (shuffling the buckets — same thing Microsoft does). The severe issues associated with staff morale cannot be overcome; it’s years too late already and the attacks on the founder of GNU/Linux are going to make it very difficult to hire geeks. Yes, geeks aren’t stupid and many view those attacks as collective.
In the video we walk through some recent discussions about the company (mostly existing and former staff in thelayoff.com) since the media is failing to report on these things. It’s too busy looking for corporate sponsors instead of covering corporate abuse, including deception. Due to the scale of IBM (historically), there are still loads of “ex-IBM” folks out there; some of them worry about their IBM pensions and remember fondly some of the things IBM did actually invent (mostly hardware). But that IBM is long gone and now it’s mostly a financial manipulation instrument in service of managers and grifters, not engineers. IBM’s President Jim Whitehurst left the company and went back to his home state; he could see the writings on the wall…
“The attack on Stallman came less than a year later, coinciding with a Bill Gates scandal at MIT (he, unlike Stallman, was actually very closely connected to Jeffrey Epstein).”For quite some time now IBM has been trying to privatise GNU and Linux so as to make volunteers’ hard work their own monopoly (of course they will fail, but they still try!). Microsoft has been trying the same when it bought GitHub. One source of ours has insinuated for more than a couple of years that the attacks which led to Torvalds’ removal from his own project (to see therapists) was caused by IBM-connected media and this was likely motivated by an effort to reduce the buying price of Red Hat (the time of those two events was almost the same; there was overlap), but the source was unable to verify this with ‘smoking gun’-type evidence. The attack on Richard Stallman came less than a year later, coinciding with a Bill Gates scandal at MIT (he, unlike Stallman, was actually very closely connected to Jeffrey Epstein). █
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* ZDNet, which kept telling us “master” as a word is offensive, published “Master” in its headline only moments ago (very first word in the headline). They keep putting their hypocrisy and double standards up on display.
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Posted in Free/Libre Software, GNU/Linux, IBM at 3:18 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Microsoft-hosted (in proprietary software prison) and IBM-managed
Summary: It certainly feels like IBM is managing the purge of the Free software community (not just by proxy, e.g. OSI and GNOME Foundation) and people needed to ask IBM for ‘permission’ to be removed from a letter they had signed (with several days for approval to be given)
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08.21.21
Posted in IBM, Red Hat at 10:57 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
IBM has had almost 3 years to prove that it cares about us…
Summary: Since taking over Red Hat, back in late 2018, IBM has practically done far too little for us; it repeatedly attacked the FSF, it basically killed off CentOS, and it is liaising with Microsoft in its attacks on copyleft
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