Patent Manoeuvres Fight Free Software, Have Roots in Microsoft's Past

Dr. Roy Schestowitz

2007-04-18 08:54:37 UTC
Modified: 2007-04-18 08:59:20 UTC

Have a look at this mind-boggling antitrust exhibit. This is Microsoft's response to a small business that offered free software.

[Bill Gates:] "At some point we will have to consider the patents they violate. I am unclear of what their business strategy is with the free version. It is a good product developed by a surprisingly lean team of people."

It turns out that this strategy, whereby one uses patents to stifle progress of smaller competitors, is by no means new. This is precisely what Microsoft intends to do in order to hinder GNU/Linux adoption. Novell seems to just let it happen.

Comments

shane

2007-04-18 16:13:51

It looks like that 'small business' in this case was Stardivision and StarOffice that they were worried about, which was then grabbed by Sun who then made a deal with MS.

Later on, Novell picked up the baton with OOO and subsequently found themselves making a deal with MS.

Looks like Bill came to that point already, Office is the cash cow and they will defend it to the end.

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Patent Manoeuvres Fight Free Software, Have Roots in Microsoft's Past

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