Red Herring described Microsoft's Linux deals as "symbiotic". Yes, it's right there in the headline. However bizarre it sounds, the subheading makes it clear that they mean by "symbiotic".

Software giant’s deal with tiny Xandros highlights strategy to conquer open source.

Isn't that lovely (and obvious)? All those who concede the source are simply opening the gates to damage, which sometimes they get paid to tolerate. It is a case of buying the dismantling of your competitor, which is of course illegal. It's subversion of the nature of a free market. It's anti-capitalistic.

I must admit that I don't understand how the Xandros deal fits GPL provisions. What about the dates, for example? All deals done after March 28^th are no longer workable under the final draft of GPLv3. To put it differently, unless this deal was agreed on before March 28^th and only announced now, this makes little or no sense. One source suggests that the deal has been negotiated for quite a long time. Was anything in the draft truly intercepted or sabotaged at all? I am not a lawyer and I will admit that Shane is far more familiars with and knowledgeable than me when it comes the legal stuff.

The way I see it, Xandros got penalised the most, but is there anything I fail to see?