05.23.13
Posted in Google, OSI at 4:20 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Nelson Mandela would not have been proud
Summary: Why Google needs to fix the licence of VP9, or simply stop pretending that it should be the only de facto standard for multimedia
IT HAS become rather evident that WebM has a licensing issue due to MPEG-LA, a Microsoft- and Apple-backed troll. There is finally a good press report about it, citing Mr. Phipps (OSI President). It says: “When Google announced that it was signing a patent agreement with the MPEG LA patent pool, the company said that it would ensure that a licence agreement for third parties using WebM/VP8 would be put in place that would let them make use of the protection within the agreement. After the publication of a draft of the cross-licence agreement, Simon Phipps, open source advocate, has voiced doubts about the agreement saying it “closes the door on software freedom”.”
“The problems with such licences are that they make it hard to include support in FOSS applications and they have an international impact, even where software patents are not legal.”The problems with such licences are that they make it hard to include support in FOSS applications and they have an international impact, even where software patents are not legal. But as this tweet reminds us, work on globalising the policy may be underway. “Will the unitary patent give NPEs more leverage and should patent owners opt out? Panelists from HGF and ZTE discuss at #mipbeijing,” says a pro-patents account. Remember that MPEG-LA is NPE acting as a proxy for companies like Microsoft, Apple, and Nokia. We’ll write about software patents in the next few posts. █
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05.08.13
Posted in EFF, Microsoft, OSI, Patents, Standard at 1:15 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Unleashing the attack dogs on free Internet communication
Summary: Patent news involving communications tools which either promote surveillance (Microsoft) or impede surveillance (FOSS and standards); more Microsoft involvement in patent law is seen
Skype is said to be a patent violation (inevitably, all software is a patent violation in a country where software patents are abundant) and a Microsoft friendly site adds that “CopyTele CEO Robert Berman, whose company filed two claims last week against Microsoft’s Skype service, says his case is nuanced.”
Hopefully he can destroy Skype, but the government would never allow that. Skype has been incredibly valuable not just for domestic surveillance but foreign surveillance too. The US records everything and stores it in datacentres with colossal machines that boast high disk capacity. On a per-person basis, this is rather cheap. See our Skype overview page for more information. It’s not the main topic of this particular post, which is really about patent abuses.
Skype’s rival which supports real privacy is SIP-based VOIP, but Microsoft’s partner BT is attacking it with software patents. There is a Slashdot discussion about it and we covered it the other day.
The OSI’s president, who is British, says that “BT mounts awesome visual aid of why standards should be patent free by law” and the FFII’s president writes:
After 20 years we still do not have a free video codec for the web, blame Microsoft, Nokia and other patent trolls.
He adds at a similar time that “BT claim patents on VoIP SIP, a disaster, covered by a minefield of 99 patents. Time to quick swpats out of EU” (swpats as in software patents).
He ridicules the recent “World IP Day” by calling it “World Imaginary Property” and adding that “Microsoft heavily depends on plant variety rights. Monsanto needs software patents”.
He also thinks that the “EFF does not push for abolition of software patents in the US,” calling “for an FFII.us branch” (the EFF has indeed disappointed in that regard).
The USPTO cannot be chastised by US entities as effectively as European entities doing the same thing. Additionally, the EFF is dominated by lawyers (part of the problem), whereas the FFII is dominated by software professionals. The EFF is working against trolls but not against software patents like it once said it would. Google too is adopting this method. The danger is that the USPTO will be expanding towards a global patent system (a subject we covered here many times before), inspired by the US, as usual. The first step is almost complete:
After decades of proposals and debate, a new European-wide single patent, known as the Unitary Patent may well be a reality by the end of 2014.
From the “World IP Day” (notice globalisation nuance) we have this tidbit:
Luke Johnson – too many patents now issued and undermine the value of IP protection (those ‘patent trolls’)
We said this many times before. Anyway, this “IP Day” is just more propaganda opportunism. It’s for lobbying. Microsoft is lobbying too, eternally striving to prevent the patent system from being truly fixed while its lawyers are committing RICA Act violations (racketeering). Here is the latest propaganda from Brad Smith (top Microsoft lawyer), with a British lawyer giving a shoutout:
Brad Smith laments the absence of a well functioning secondary market for patents — and patent lawyers who love their patents
Not so long ago Microsoft brought extortion to China (starting with a producing giant, Foxconn [1, 2]), calling it “licensing” to deceive regulators. This is crime disguised as “honouring the [patent] law.”
There will soon be a panel event involving a prominent opponent of software patent, Judge Posner. To quote this introduction: “A panel of distinguished jurists will discuss these two conflicting perspectives on whether the patent system today promotes or hampers innovation: Arthur Gajarsa, former Judge on the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, Paul Michel, former Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and Richard Posner, Judge of the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. The panel will be moderated by Douglas Ginsburg, former Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and a Professor of Law at George Mason University School of Law.”
This panel does not look like it’s completely rigged, unlike the ridiculous "roundtable" (where all sides of the table held the same position/premise). █
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05.04.13
Posted in Free/Libre Software, Microsoft, OSI, Patents at 4:33 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Microsoft’s sting is deceivingly called “Microsoft Open Technologies”
Summary: Microsoft continues to blackmail, damage, demonise etc. — thus isolating FOSS (Free Open Source Software) projects and marginalising the development community/ies — while claiming to have embraced “openness”
The OSI’s president would not characterise Microsoft as Satan, he is just realistic about the company’s real intent. His predecessor was the same as the OSI was barely ever infiltrated by Microsoft moles, thankfully enough (I can think only of two exceptions, Denise and Matt). The OSI is about to get a new board and hopefully enough Microsoft’s entryism attempts will be kept at bay (OSI was infiltrated by Microsoft only in the licence sense). Microsoft successfully infiltrated other FOSS authorities which it rendered defunct upon joining. Yes, we have examples, but these are not worth revisiting right now.
Currently, Microsoft tries a man in the middle approach and Phipps knows what Microsoft is really up to. He writes:
Microsoft Open Technologies is plenty busy. But Microsoft still hasn’t explained why a separate entity was needed
Phipps is more blunt in his blog. He calls this scam “Microsoft Firewall” and says:
On its first anniversary, I remain convinced that the motivation for Microsoft’s wholly-owned open source & open standards subsidiary is primarily to isolate Microsoft from the open source community.
Well, what Microsoft calls “openness” is actually extortion, blackmail and sabotage; taxing GNU/Linux and controlling it. This is all just a branding and marketing exercise for Microsoft. Fernando Cassia shows that the Microsoft-funded SUSE, as expected, is sidling yet closer to Microsoft right now, handing yet more control over GNU/Linux to the sociopath:
Since we shared the stage at OSBC last year, our joint efforts have also delivered the SUSE Manager Management Pack for System Center, which facilitates Linux server patching through Microsoft’s management tools, as well as support for SUSE Linux Enterprise Servers and openSUSE images on Windows Azure Virtual Machines.
Obsidian makes a mistake too.
Microsoft is not being nice to Linux. Putting aside extortion with patents, which is a RICO Act violation, there is technical sabotage. With Vista 8 it is suppressing Linux boots (through UEFI restricted boot) and it has real impact on Free software adoption. As Mr. Varghese puts it, there are untold complications:
Linux does not have this capability. Those Linux distributions that have developed a means of booting on secure boot-enabled systems need to disable hibernation in the kernel. Or they can do as Canonical, the maker of Ubuntu, has done and remove the hibernation option from the user interface.
Thanks to SUSE folks who helped take restricted boot mainstream (kernel-embedded), we are all bound to suffer for years to come. Hardware is being made Linux-hostile with the flawed assumption that Linux will cope.
‘Open’ is how Microsoft paints itself whilst doing the very opposite; the company tries to immune itself from criticism using newspeak. █
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11.02.12
Posted in Europe, OSI, Patents, Standard at 12:31 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Summary: The British government says no to “FRAND”-washed software patents traps, at least in the public sector
It is with great pleasure that we read this news about standards winning in the UK. Real standards:
Whitehall has launched its long-awaited response to the open standards consultation, which will force government bodies to comply with its list of “Open Standards Principles” when purchasing technology.
Departments must use the principles for all software interoperability and data and document formats. If they do not use the principles they will have to apply for an exemption, according to a Cabinet Office statement. As of today the principles will be embedded in the Cabinet Office’s spend control process.
Over at IDG, never mind London-based sites, Simon Phipps, the OSI’s President (from the UK), celebrates on the news:
Government procurements now prefer open standards – and that means no patent restrictions in the standards.
Here is something about getting it right:
A little over five years ago I was speaking at a conference for the CIOs of various Canadian ministries. Speaking just before me was a consultant from Accenture who was presenting on their most recent Global Report on Government Service Delivery. In it, Canada had just slipped from first to second in the world, after Singapore. While slightly disappointed, the audience remained content that among 30 or so leading countries in the world, Canada remained second.
The FSFE’s response was noted by some:
The new policy does not cover open-source software, which is part of a different policy document.
“This is a major step forward,” said the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) of the Open Standards Principles.
Here is the original statement in full, courtesy of Karsten:
Today, the UK took a long-awaited, important step towards fixing this problem. (FSFE press release) It published a set of “Open Standards principles” (pdf). They’re effective immediately, and all central government bodies will have to abide by them. It also put out a response to the public Open Standards consultation that it had run up to June 2012. (See FSFE’s response to the consultation.) In this post, I’m covering only the Open Standards principles.
This news is important for British SMBs which capitalise on standards, unlike giant multinationals. █
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04.22.11
Posted in Microsoft, OSI, Patents at 3:41 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
(ODF | PDF | English/original)
Resumen: Michael Tiemann dice que Florian Müller “procede a emitir insensateces” después de insultar a la Open Source Initiative (OSI), respecto a la defensa del Free/Open Source.
MICROSOFT esta lascivamente deseando las patentes de Novell y Microsoft Florian[http://techrights.org/wiki/index.php/Florian_M%C3%BCller] sigue lamiéndose los labios sobre la posibilidad de que Microsoft y otros obtengan algunos de las llamadas “patentes de FOSS Free Open Source Software” para amenazar con Linux. Es más transparente basado en lo que escribe, especialmente se regodea (e insulta) en su cuenta de Twitter. No es el único sin embargo.
Jon Brodkin de IDG, a quien conocemos por sus esfuerzos de blanqueo de Microsoft (de los que recientemente dio ejemplos [1[http://techrights.org/2011/03/21/wp7-dissed-by-mobile-industry/], 2[http://techrights.org/2011/03/03/idg-microsoft-whitewash/], 3[http://techrights.org/2010/08/30/microsoft-foss-deception-again/]], y él también habla con Florian), dice que “EE.UU. Defensa de la Competencia revisará Microsoft/Novell venta de patentes por 30 días más[http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/72127]“. Florian mientras tanto difunde desinformación, tratando de apurar el juicio o inyectar un poco de desinformación mientras que Florian engaña a la gente (hay un informe CPTLN inexacta en ZDNet Reino Unido, tal vez como resultado de esto[http://techrights.org/2011/04/16/zdnet-uk-censorship-debate/]), cuando en realidad incluso su amigo en línea Maureen O ‘Gara se da cuenta de que no hay liquidación[http://www.sys-con.com/node/1795207]. Brodkin, un blogger de Microsoft, lo está girando como en defensa de Microsoft (“Escudo de las demandas …”) [1[http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/224751/novell_patent_sale_to_shield_microsoft_apple_emc_and_oracle_from_lawsuits.html], 2[http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/040811-novell-patents.html]], es sin duda este título[http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/novell-patent-sale-raises-concerns-but-still-likely-to-proceed] que lo convierte en un fan de la oferta, al igual que Florian. El acuerdo de patentes es atroz (FSF y OSI están de acuerdo e incluso trabajan en conjunto en contra de ella, de una manera sin precedentes), mientras que los boosters de Microsoft están anunciando o prediciendo su éxito incluso antes de que sea aprobado. ¿Están tratando de influir en la decisión mediante la generación de afirmaciones falaces? A decir verdad, hemos escrito sobre esto antes[http://techrights.org/2011/04/10/all-software-patents-are-bad/]. Dado que la multitud a favor de Microsoft está tan ansiosos por ver esas patentes caer en los brazos de Microsoft, sabemos con certeza que la FSF y OSI están en lo correcto y para citar una respuesta de “Barney”[http://www.linuxtoday.com/news_story.php3?ltsn=2011-04-11-001-41-PS-0000], destinado a apuntar a Brodkin de (título es “La Venta de Patentes de NOvell un Escudo de Microsoft, Apple, EMC y Oracle en contra de Demandas “):
Escudo? no querrá decir espada.
Yo realmente no veo Microsoft, Apple, ni Oracle sean pasivos en lo que respecta a la utilización de esas patentes y a mi modo de ver, se utilizarán para reducir la tecnología productos basados en código abierto (también conocido como Linux).
Sólo hay una respuesta[http://www.linuxtoday.com/news_story.php3?ltsn=2011-04-11-001-41-PS-0001] y una que no tiene en cuenta la actitud de las empresas ante a la competencia y cómo utilizan las patentes. Ellos son los agresores. Mientras tanto, la maquinaria de propaganda de Microsoft Florian se pone en marcha otra vez y responde el jefe de la OSI[http://www.linuxtoday.com/news_story.php3?ltsn=2011-04-08-011-41-OP-LL-0000]:
Florian Mueller acusa que la OSI esta soltando tonterías, y luego procede a emitirlas él mismo. Le estoy llamando la atención por ello.
La FCO ha manifestado claramente las condiciones en las que pueden y cuando el acuerdo debe ser bloqueada, que es cuando cuando la transacción CPTLN crearía o “reforzaría una posición dominante de uno o varios inversores CPTLN-en los mercados en que actúan.” Florian piensa que es una barrera imposiblemente alta, porque según él, no hay realmente ninguna manera que los reguladores puedan para hacer su trabajo. Rechazo esa conclusión cínica. Y me siento satisfecho de que los reguladores en los EE.UU. y la UE están leyendo cuidadosamente tanto los requisitos legales y los hechos y la evidencia de la transacción. Ya hemos visto un gran cambio en la estructura de la transacción CPTLN, lo que indica que hubo claramente algunas cuestiones muy graves con la primera estructuración.
En el mundo del código abierto, un parche rechazado nunca es aceptado automáticamente por el mero hecho algunos cambios fueron hechos al azar y presentado de nuevo el parche. El parche debe abordar las cuestiones de fondo, y debe hacerlo de una manera que sea aceptada por la comunidad. Se acepta que el *mantenedor* dice que es bastante bueno, no cuando el presentador dice que es lo suficientemente bueno.
La transacción propuesta revisada CPTLN se refirió a una de las muchas preocupaciones planteadas por la OSI, pero deja a la mayoría de los problemas sin resolver. La FCO solicitó nuestro aporte-como miembros de nuestra comunidad y nos han dado respuesta. Debemos dejar que el FCO hacer su trabajo, y no más allá que su autoridad, su capacidad o su integridad.
Como el siguiente comentarista señaló[http://www.linuxtoday.com/news_story.php3?ltsn=2011-04-08-011-41-OP-LL-0002]:
Ojalá este resumen, como la mayoría en Linux Hoy en día, había identificado al autor del artículo. Esta es una importante pieza de información que yo uso a la hora de decidir si deseo o no hacer clic para leer un artículo.
Y el siguiente después de él[http://www.linuxtoday.com/news_story.php3?ltsn=2011-04-08-011-41-OP-LL-0003l]:
Gracias por ese post informativo, Michael. Cuando ví que el vínculo era con el “Software Libre de Patentes”, decidí evitar hacer clic.
Barnie pregunta[http://www.linuxtoday.com/news_story.php3?ltsn=2011-04-08-011-41-OP-LL-0004]: “Florian – ¿Alimentas que las ofertas de patente de Microsoft están justificadas?
En los últimos años hemos visto que Microsoft ocupa (al parecer por amenazas de acciones legales) extrajo ofertas de patentes con empresas de la talla de HTC, TomTom y muchos otros.
¿Cree usted que alguna de estas ofertas están justificados y que creen que el sistema actual está funcionando?
Florian aparece un par de veces en este tema, sólo para insistir en el mismo giro y la distorsión de los hechos (su táctica principal, también en contra de mensajeros que no está de acuerdo con, por ejemplo, Groklaw y Techrights). Rainer Weikusat cierra la conversación con:
> 1) Si fuera por mí, las patentes de este tipo
> No se concederían en el primer lugar.
.
Pero no es “hasta que”, es decir, cualquier declaración sobre
esta de su lado es puramente hipotética: No
“Test de realidad” de su veracidad nunca ocurrirá
y en el contexto de la cuestión real, también es
completamente irrelevante.
.
> No creo que es razonable conceder
> Monopolios de 20 años en las ideas relacionadas con el software. Este
> es independiente de si estamos hablando de
> FAT de Microsoft multitouch, Apple, Oracle virtuales máquina
>, Amazon un solo clic o patente Google Doodle
> (Sí, patentado que uno y fue la patente
> Concedido recientemente, y en mi opinión es más
> Absurda en esta lista).
.
Es por lo menos sobre una invención original,
frente a alguien con tareas de diseño e implementación
una manera de agregar “nombres de archivo largos” a un directorio de DOS
de una manera que no moleste el software escrito para
uso de nombres 8.3 ‘(algo que cualquier programador decente
ser fácilmente capaz de) y, a continuación el resultado de las patentes
de este trabajo con el fin de obstaculizar independientes,
implementaciones interoperables.
.
> 2) Teniendo en cuenta que este tipo de patentes existen, sin embargo,
> Es el curso normal de los negocios de ese derecho
los titulares de> querer usarlos. Si la concesión de licencias en
> Condiciones razonables, que es infinitamente mejor que cualquier
> Uso estratégico de exclusión de las patentes
.
La pregunta interesante, sin embargo, es lo que precisamente
que constituye una “manera razonable”. Por ejemplo, legalmente,
Linux está prohibido de ser completamente interoperables
con sistemas de creación de sistemas de archivos a través del “nombre largo
método de adición “patentado por Microsoft, con la excepción
en la medida en propiedad de los módulos del kernel de dudosa legalidad
el estado se utilizan. Y en mi opinión, esto es “estratégica,
el uso excluyente de las patentes “: Si bien la licencia de uso
esta “invención” puede estar disponible para ‘empresas’ que
sólo se concede a condición de que dicho
las empresas no participiate en gran escala
de colaboración de desarrollo los esfuerzos de Microsoft considera
a ser potencialmente perjudicial para su negocio en marcha
éxito. Esto también convenientemente ignora el hecho de que
“Desarrollo” una gran cantidad de no se hace por «empresas»
producción de software, debido a “valor de venta” de su (y
por lo tanto, capaz de pagar derechos de autor).
La legitimidad de Microsoft Florian en los círculos del software libre del que pretende ser el campeón, está en su punto más bajo de todos los tiempos. Cualquier cosa que se puede atribuir a él en el pasado está siendo reemplazada por el engaño inaceptable y su hostilidad hacia la libertad del software, incluyendo su lenguaje y comportamiento grosero. Florian el autor no es Florian el lobbyist y él admite que nunca escribió FOSS.
La Vergonzosa Defensa de Ofertas de patente de Microsoft Florian se detalla aquí.
–Comentario por Twitter—
Preface
He incluido este comentario de Twitter por que explica detalladamente la actitud propagandista del empleado de Microsoft: Microsoft Florian, como siembra desinformación, ataca a los que lo desemascaran y a todo aquel que proteste por la manera como quiere justificar como Microsoft utiliza las patentes asi como las que quiere obtener de CPTLN para destruir Linux. No nos olvidemos, MS Florian es un empleado de Microsoft es lo que explica la manera que actúa.
Florian ha tenido éxito en jugar a Slashdot. Sus insultos a Groklaw y Techrights que siguierón de cerca el anuncio del retiro de PJ me molesto por lo que me decidí a ver lo que Florian Mueller ha estado diciendo a Slashdot[http://slashdot.org/~twitter/journal/263284]. Se las arregló para inyectar su opinión 16 veces en el último año, sobre todo FUD en contra de los competidores de Microsoft. Cada uno de los 16 artículos Slashdot representa muchas más publicaciones de prensa de Microsoft. Compare la calumnia prolífica en contra de Red Hat, Google, IBM, RMS, la Free Software Foundation y otros a su falta de preocupación por Microsoft. Buscando en su blog podemos encontrar:
No se hace mención de Intelectual Ventures[http://slashdot.org/~twitter/journal/263284]
No se hace mención de Nathan Myhrvold[http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=site%3Afosspatents.blogspot.com++%22nathan+myhrvold%22&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=]
Menciona Microsoft Abogado de patentes 4 veces[http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&sa=X&ei=K0OqTaWGFeWR0QGeoKT5CA&ved=0CBYQvwUoAQ&q=site%3Afosspatents.blogspot.com+gutierrez&spell=1], sobre todo para llevar a la gente a leer la opinión de Microsoft.
Una vez le pregunté si leyó mi Línea de Tiempo de Microsoft Extorsión de Patentes[http://techrights.org/2010/11/14/msft-extorsion-es/]–un deber leerla para entender la real actitud de Microsoft uso de patentes-, y le pregunté por qué no persiguió a Microsoft y sus evidente ataques en contra de GNU/Linux y el Software Libre. Se quedó en silencio en aquel momento. Ahora veo que produjo esta pobre excusa[http://fosspatents.blogspot.com/2010/08/microsofts-use-of-patents.html] de “el enfoque cooperativo de Microsoft en cuanto a las patentes[http://fosspatents.blogspot.com/2010_11_01_archive.html].” En su defensa de Microsoft, rechaza las acusaciones de que él es un lobbyst de Microsoft en el que no se puede confiar. Entonces, nos dice[http://fosspatents.blogspot.com/2010/08/microsofts-use-of-patents.html],
Microsoft no utiliza sus patentes en una forma destructiva. No sólo se sientan en sus patentes sin hacer nada, pero son un soporte de cooperación de derechos que no los utilizan para eliminar a la competencia. … Los desarrolladores, sin embargo, en general, les gusta el software libre FOSS. Así que no puedo ver cómo Microsoft iría a la guerra en contra de la comunidad. … Hay una buena posibilidad de que la coexistencia pacífica de Microsoft con el software libre seguirá y cada vez más fructífera. … Microsoft no tiene ese tipo de problemas [de lavar sus acciones]. … Es más realista esperar un titular de una patente que hacer es la concesión de licencias en condiciones “equitativas”, “razonables” y “no discriminatorias” (FRAND[http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#RAND]). … Las ofertas de licencia son generalmente una buena noticia … Microsoft sólo demandó a esas empresas porque no estaban absolutamente dispuestos a hacer un acuerdo de licencias. En cada uno de los casos, … La clave para mí es que todas esas demandas se podrían haber evitado fácilmente. Si Microsoft sigue usando sus patentes en la forma cooperativa, razonable que los ha utilizado hasta ahora, entonces no creo que haya una amenaza a los proyectos de software libre o las empresas.
Esta es una vergonzosa defensa de la estrategia de Microsoft contra el software libre. Según el correo electrónico de Microsoft expuestas en el Microsoft vs Comes caso antimonopolio, está claro que el objetivo de Microsoft era imponer costes externos, los “riesgos” y el miedo a los usuarios de GNU/Linux y las empresas. El ataque fue planeado en 2002, ejecutado en 2004 y continúa hasta nuestros días[http://slashdot.org/~twitter/journal/219107]. Microsoft se jacta de que han anotó docenas, si no cientos de contribuyentes de licencia, las empresas que utilizan software de Microsoft que no posee. Florian describe esta extorsión judicial como “cooperativa”, “justa”, “razonable” y “no discriminatoria”. Me pregunto si él sentiría lo mismo si yo tuviera que decirle que tengo una patente sobre FUD, pero yo no quiero que deje de escribir FUD, yo sólo quiero mi parte justa de compensación, el 25% es suficiente, de lo contrario lo voy a atar en el tribunal por la próxima década, embargo de sus escritos en los EE.UU. y la UE y crear una serie de redes para trabajar en su reputación a través de mi extensa red de publicaciones técnicas, empresas de relaciones públicas, abogados y lobbysts. Tan pronto como se tome la molestia de pagar, voy a establecer una media docena de servidores proxy después de él. Cuando eso es la realidad de otra persona, eso está bien con él.
Su reciente trabajo ha costado mucho a su reputación. La gente se percató de que era la fuente de la FUD de los derechos de autor de Android y pensarón mal de él. Los ataques en contra de “Groklie”, PJ, probablemente le costarón más. En la manera típica de matón de Microsoft, está culpando al golpe a su reputación a PJ y a otros que se han dado cuenta de lo que está haciendo. █
Translation produced by Eduardo Landaveri, the esteemed administrator of the Spanish portal of Techrights.
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04.19.11
Posted in Microsoft, OSI, Patents at 4:36 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Summary: Michael Tiemann says that Florian Müller “proceeds to spout nonsense” after insulting the Open Source Initiative (OSI) regarding defence of Free/Open Source software
MICROSOFT is lusting for Novell’s patents and Microsoft Florian keeps licking his lips over the possibility that Microsoft et al. will get some so-called “FOSS patents” to threaten Linux with. It’s rather transparent based on what he writes, especially the reckless gloat (and insults) in his Twitter stream. He’s not alone though.
IDG’s Jon Brodkin, known to us for the Microsoft whitewashing efforts (we recently gave examples [1, 2, 3] and he too speaks to Florian), says that “U.S. Antitrust will review Microsoft/Novell patent sale for 30 more days”. Florian is meanwhile spreading disinformation; they try to rush the judgment or push this bit of disinformation while Florian deceives people (there is an inaccurate CPTN report in ZDNet UK, maybe as a result of this) when in fact even his online friend Maureen O’Gara realises that there is no clearance. Brodkin, a Microsoft blogger, is spinning it as defence for Microsoft (“Shield… From Lawsuits”) [1, 2]; it is arguably this headline which makes him a fan of the deal, just like Florian. The patent deal is atrocious (FSF and OSI agree and even work jointly against it, in an unprecedented fashion), whereas Microsoft boosters are predicting or heralding its success before it’s even cleared. Are they trying to influence the decision by generating fallacious claims? Truthfully, we wrote about this before. Since the pro-Microsoft crowd is so eager to see those patents falling into Microsoft’s arms, we know for sure that the FSF and OSI are correct and to quote a response from “barney”, aimed at Brodkin’s spin (headline is “Novell Patent Sale to Shield Microsoft, Apple, EMC and Oracle From Lawsuits”):
Shield? don’t you mean sword
I really don’t see Microsoft, Apple, nor Oracle being passive with regards to using those patents and they way I see it, they will be used to cut down open source technology( aka Linux ) based products.
There is only one resoponse and one that does not take into account the companies’ prior attitude towards competition and how they use patents. They are aggressors. Meanwhile, the propaganda machine of Microsoft Florian kicks into gear again and the head of the OSI responds:
Florian Mueller accuses that the OSI is spouting nonsense, and then proceeds to spout nonsense. I’m calling him on it.
The FCO has clearly stated the conditions under which a deal can and must be blocked, which is when when the CPTN transaction would “create or strengthen a dominant position of one or several CPTN-investors on the markets on which they are active.” Florian thinks that is an impossibly high bar, because according to him, there’s really no way regulators can be expected to do their jobs. I reject such a cynical conclusion. And I am heartened that the regulators in both the US and EU are reading carefully both the legal requirements and the facts and evidence of the transaction. We have already seen a huge change to the structure of the CPTN transaction, indicating that there were clearly some very serious issues with the first structuring.
In the world of open source, a rejected patch is never automatically accepted merely because some random changes were made and the patch resubmitted. The patch must address the substantive issues, and must do so in a way that is accepted by the community. It is accepted when the *maintainer* says its good enough, not when the submitter claims it’s good enough.
The revised proposed CPTN transaction did address one of the many concerns raised by the OSI, but it leaves most of the concerns unaddressed. The FCO requested our input–as members of the community–and we have given our answer. We should let the FCO do their job, and not second-guess their authority, their ability, or their integrity.
As the next commenter pointed out:
I wish this summary, like most on Linux Today, had identified the author of the article. This is an important piece of information that I use when deciding whether or not to click through and read an article.
And the next one after that:
Thanks for that informative post, Michael. When is saw the link was to FOSS Patents, I decided to avoid clicking.
Barnie asks: “Florian – do you feed any of the Microsoft patent deals are justified?”
Over the last few years we have seen Microsoft make deals (it would seem by threat of legal action) extract patent deals from the likes of HTC, TomTom and many others.
Do you believe any of these deals are justified and do you believe the current system is working?
Florian appears a couple of times in this thread, only to insist on the same spin and distortion of facts (his main tactic, also against messengers he does not agree with, e.g. Groklaw and Techrights). Rainer Weikusat closes this conversation with:
> 1) If it were up to me, patents of that kind would
> not be granted in the first place.
.
But it isn’t ‘up to you’, meaning, any statement on
this from your side is entirely hypothetical: No
‘reality check’ of its truthfulness will ever occur
and in the context of the actual question, it is also
completely irrelevant.
.
> I don’t believe that it’s reasonable to grant
> 20-year monopolies on software-related ideas. This
> view is independent from whether we’re talking about
> a Microsoft FAT, Apple multitouch, Oracle virtual
> machine, Amazon one-click or Google Doodle patent
> (yes, they patented that one and the patent was
> granted recently, and in my view it’s the most
> abusrd one in this list).
.
It is at least about some original invention, as
opposed tasking someone with ‘design and implement
a way to add “long filenames” to a DOS-directory
in a way which will not disturb software written to
use 8.3 names’ (something any decent programmer should
be easily capable of) and then patenting the result
of this work in order to hamper independent,
interoperable implementations.
.
> 2) Given that such patents do exist nonetheless,
> it’s the normal course of business that right
> holders want to use them. If they grant licenses on
> reasonable terms, that’s infinitely better than any
> strategic exclusionary use of patents
.
The interesting question, however, is what precisely
constitutes ‘a reasonable term’. For instance, legally,
Linux is prohibited from being fully interoperable
with systems creating filesystems using the ‘long name
addition method’ patented by Microsoft, except
insofar proprietary kernel modules of legally dubious
status are used. And in my opinion, this is ‘strategic,
exclusionary use of patents’: While a license to use
this ‘invention’ may be available to ‘companies’ it
is only granted subject to the condition that said
companies to not participiate in large-scale
collaborative development efforts Microsoft considers
to be potentially detrimental to its ongoing business
success. This also conveniently ignores the fact that
a lot of ‘development’ is not done by ‘companies’
producing software because of its ‘sale value’ (and
thus, capable of paying royalties).
The legitimacy of Microsoft Florian in FOSS circles which he pretends to champion is at an all-time low. Anything which could be attributed to him in the past is being superseded by unacceptable deception and hostility towards software freedom, including crass behaviour and language. Florian the author is not Florian the lobbyist and he admits that he never wrote FOSS. █
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03.20.11
Posted in Free/Libre Software, Microsoft, OSI at 3:32 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
(ODF | PDF | English/original)
Resumen: La Iniciativa de Open Source OSI, intenta recuperar su legitimidad y también explica que Microsoft está muy lejos de ser un amigo de Open Source.
Los DIARIOS posts han contenido ya noticias sobre una reforma prevista en la OSI, que es la organización detrás de la marca de fábrica de Open Source. La OSI ha sido siempre renuente ser influenciada por Microsoft, que intentó manterla a corta distancia[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arm%27s_length_principle]. Hay un blogger en la OSI que se atreve de vez en cuando a decir la verdad sobre la relación de Microsoft con Open Source y aquí esta lo suyo sobre el amor de Microsoft hacia Open Source[http://www.opensource.org/blog/MicrosoftLovesOpenSource.html]:
Cuando hablo a la gente de Microsoft acerca de todo su mal comportamiento, es cierta otra parte de Microsoft que si la ignoramos eventualmente veremos la luz. Eso parece como una mala estrategia de nuestros “buenos amigos”. Si Microsoft ama sinceramente al Código Abierto, es hora de una estrategia corporativa. Hagamos esto simple:
* ¿Cómo sobre una promesa de la patente similar pero mejor que la promesa de patentes de Red Hat? Vaya un paso más al futuro y amplíelo a todas las licencias de código abierto.
* ¿Qué acerca de invitar a la OSI para que se una a la CPTN? Eso haría cada uno más cómodo creer que es un consorcio defensivo y no un esquema para destruir a el código abierto.
* ¿Qué acerca de un cambio del tono del mensaje de la comercialización a “desarrollo cooperativo”, en vez de el de la “interoperabilidad”?
Microsoft, quisiera ver este amor como algo más que un esquema de comercialización gaseoso. ¡Demuéstrenos el amor!
La fuente de este enteramente deshonesto “Microsoft Ama a Open Source” FUD de es el escritor de IDG – un troll de presión del Subnet de Microsoft que hace algunos días puso a Stallman y Stalin en el mismo título (entonces ligado a “Microsoft ama a Open Source” dentro de la misma entrevista con Stallman). Los que fingen ese Microsoft pueden ser campeón de chantajes y ética al mismo tiempo no están claramente interesados en la naturaleza verdadera; hacen Relaciones Públicas PR.
Notas de traducción:
Hoy Lunes 29 de Marzo, Microsoft demandó a Barnes & Noble y FoxConn por el uso de Adroide on su lector Nook[http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct2=us%2F0_0_s_4_0_t&usg=AFQjCNEzYOo4yhEtRoc2eXvXm9XtYSaTZQ&did=2bccaf5d3e51893e&cid=8797676060261&ei=HgSITeHKMIL8lQTn4Id3&rt=SECTION&vm=STANDARD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cultofmac.com%2Fmicrosoft-sues-barnes-noble-foxconn-over-nook-patent-infringement%2F87503]. Barnes & Noble tuvo el coraje de negarse a firmar un acuerdos sobre patentes que involucran a GNU/Linux como lo hicieron: Linspire, Xandros, TurboLinux, Acer, HTC, Amazon entre otros que ahora están pagando por GNU/Linux. Microsoft está imponiendo un GNU/Linux Tax que no le corresponde. Esperemos que Barnes & Noble no se doblegue ante este burdo chantaje y no pague por protección a estos modernos gangsters.
Este es el amor de Microsoft hacia Open Source. Los países Latino Americanos debemos cerrar filas en contra de Microsoft que sólo busca la entrega del futuro de las nuevas generaciones con el uso de sus supuestos “estándares” y tecnologías que sólo buscan sofocar las empresas latino americanas y del Tercer Mundo con su objetivo de Colonialismo Digital. Miremos a Brasil y la India para el bienestar de nuestras futuras generaciones.
Si, Microsoft no ha cambiado busca la destrucción del código abierto y de todo aquello que vaya en contra de sus intereses, eso esta es su ADN por tanto seamos precavidos y miremos todo lo que venga de ellos y su prensa comprada con escepticismo.
Eduardo Landaveri translates the latter new part into English as follows:
“I added to the end Notes of translation: Today Monday 29 of March, Microsoft demanded to Barnes & Noble and FoxConn for the use of Android on its Nook reader. Barnes & Noble had the courage to refuse to sign agreements on patents that involve GNU/Linux, like others did: Linspire, Xandros, TurboLinux, Acer, HTC, Amazon among others that now are paying for GNU/Linux. Microsoft is imposing a GNU/Linux Tax that does not correspond to them. Let us hope that Barnes & Noble will not give in to this coarse blackmail and won’t not pay for protection to these modern gangsters.
“This it is the love of Microsoft towards Open Source. The Latin American countries must close up against Microsoft that only looks for subjugating the future of the new generations with the use of its supposed “standards” and technologies that they only look for to choke the Latin Americana and Third World companies with its goal of Digital Colonialism. We must look upon Brazil and India for the well-being of our future generations.
“Yes, Microsoft has not changed. It only looks for the destruction of the open source and of everything what it goes against his interests, this is its DNA therefore we must be cautious every time we read everything what comes from them and its bribed press & treat it with skepticism.” █
Many thanks to Eduardo Landaveri of the Spanish portal of Techrights.
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Posted in Free/Libre Software, OSI at 2:59 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Summary: The Open Source Initiative seeks to regain legitimacy and it also explains that Microsoft is far from a friend of Open Source
THE DAILY links have already contained news about a planned reform at the OSI, which is the organisation behind the Open Source brand. The OSI has always been reluctant to be intruded by Microsoft, which it tried to keep at arm’s length. There is one blogger at the OSI who occasionally dares to say the truth about Microsoft’s relationship with Open Source and here is his latest about “Microsoft Loves Open Source”:
When I speak to folks at Microsoft all bad behavior is “some other part of Microsoft” that if we just ignore will eventually see the light. That seems like a bad strategy from our “good friends”. If Microsoft sincerely loves open source, it is time for a corporate strategy. Let’s make this simple:
* How about a “Patent Promise” similar but better than Red Hat’s Patent Promise? Go one step further and extend it to all open source licenses.
* How about inviting the Open Invention Network to join CPTN? That would make everyone more comfortable that it is a defensive consortium and not a scheme to crush open source.
* How about changing the tone of the marketing message to “cooperative development” instead of “interoperability”?
Microsoft, I’d like to see this love as more than a cheesy marketing scheme. Show us the love!
The source of this wholly dishonest “Microsoft Loves Open Source” FUD is the Microsoft Subnet writer from IDG — a booster who some days ago put Stallman and Stalin in the same headline (then linked to “Microsoft Loves Open Source” within the same interview with Stallman). Those who pretend that Microsoft can be champion of racketeering and “ethics” at the same time are clearly not interested in the true nature; they do PR. █
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