Bonum Certa Men Certa

Microsoft's Case Against Linux Takes a Dive, Novell Rearms, Patent Trolls Leave the Bridge

It probably need not be said or mentioned, but just in case you have not heard about it yet, Google joined hands with OIN. IBM and Oracle are among the giants who were already there.

This is a huge blow to Microsoft's attempt to subvert Linux development and/or hurt adoption of Linux through extortion, threats, and repeated baseless accusations.

Upon Google's move, the company did not neglect to give big a thumbs-up to GNU/Linux. Herein there's a risk. Google is possibly alienating its anti-FLOSS crowd in the process. Google reminded everyone that every time you use Google, you're using Linux.

You'll often hear members of our open source team say, "Every time you use Google, you're using Linux." It's absolutely true. Check a Google engineer's workstation, and you'll probably find it's running Linux.


Thank you, Google, for a free public relations plug.

In other news, Microsoft's now-weaker-than-ever patent claims are called "a cheap shot". There is also the obligatory comparison to SCO, whose bad image Microsoft is now inheriting.

Microsoft is yet to display any evidence of these infringements. CEO Steve Ballmer has made a lot of noise in the press about their claimed existence, but has not backed this up by with any specifics. It's merely Microsoft's latest strategy against Linux and it seems doubtful that these fallacious claims would enjoy much success in a courtroom.

It's been done before. SCO launched a similar attack on Linux and failed – miserably. Microsoft's claims on the Linux code base, at this stage, seem every bit as farcical as SCO's, if not more so. It basically amounts to a cheap shot.


One thing remains a mystery. Why has Novell just hired a patent lawyer? It has already stated that it does not believe Linux infringes on any patents. Then again, the weakness of the system has not stopped patent trolls from taking preemptive strikes. In the past couple of days alone we find that notable lawsuits were filed which address both hardware and software.

The first case involves Sharp and Samsung.

Sharp said it filed the suit in the Court for the Eastern District of Texas and was seeking compensation and the prohibition of sales of products infringing five of its LCD patents including one that relates to technology used to enhance display quality.


The second case is a much more amusing one. It reminded me of Xerox and Palm, whose tiff forced many users to adopt new graffiti stroke patterns. Luckily, I was able to avoid it by sticking with older models of Palm handhelds.

SP Technologies filed a claim alleging that Apple has infringed on a patent it was granted in 2004 for a "method and medium for computer readable keyboard display incapable of user termination".

[...]

SP Technologies is seeking "reasonable royalties" from Apple, which online rumours have speculated could see compensation paid for each iPhone already sold.


Can you see how trivial this patent is? How about prior art? It is also funny how the troll waited until the phone got widely distributed. How typical.

A patent troll that sued Sony very recently did the very same thing. It was waiting until Playststation 3s became more widespread. It then demanded the destruction of them all. Microsoft and the MP3 format make a nice example too. Yesterday we mentioned the decision, which was overturned. Last night Alcatel-Lucent said it would appeal, so the story is not over.

Trolls abound + weak cases = total waste of time

Where is that reform that everyone (including Microsoft) craves for?

Recent Techrights' Posts

Law Firms Facing the Consequences for Patently Abusive Litigation on Behalf of Microsoft Employees Who Got Arrested for Strangulation and Had Done Even Worse Things
Having spent 1.5 years bullying me with patronising letters on behalf of Microsofters, last week they got served a massive bill and, in effect, lost the Hearing
LLMs Breaking Everything
Computing and the Net became a playground for scammers and "bros", like people who "invented" fake currencies and also try to tell us that LLMs spewing out things will have some real value
1989: Free Software as "Open" Software (OSI Didn't Coin "Open Source", It Also Predates Linux)
"One man's fight for Free software"
 
The FSF Board and FSF Beard
So the FSF's Board has grown
New Report From the EPO's Staff Representatives in The Hague (LSCTH) Reveals Many Unsolved Issues
Local Staff Committee The Hague (LSCTH) wrote to staff just before the weekend
Links 22/06/2025: More Slop Lawsuits (Copyrights) and "America’s Oligarch Problem"
Links for the day
Gemini Links 22/06/2025: Gigantic Toolchest and Annoying Bots
Links for the day
The Calling
Persist and persevere, justice will come your way
So Far Every BetaNews 'Article' is LLM Slop, So BetaNews is Officially Just a Slopfarm
They just don't seem to value what they have
IBM Rumour: Mass Layoffs (RAs) Lists Being Made for Consulting, With Effect in July 2025
Bogus companies with no viable products and no world-leading (in their field) staff are doomed to perish
Links 21/06/2025: Data Breach With 16 Billion Passwords, Dutch Government Recommends Children Under 15 Stay off TikTok and Instagram
Links for the day
Gemini Links 21/06/2025: Notes about Typst (and LaTeX) and Opos
Links for the day
Microsoft's Competition Tactics: Sabotage GNU/Linux Installs, Block Chrome
Edge is dying
The Microsoft OOXML Modus Operandi: Throw 1,000 Pages of Other People's Work for a Judge to Read Ahead of a One-Hour Meeting
No time to discuss this - that's the point
Formalities Officers (FOs) at the EPO Are in Trouble, Reveals Internal Report
We already know, based on an HR pattern we saw at IBM and elsewhere, that reallocating roles can be prerequisite for dismissal and those who do so expect many to resign anyway
The Web is Slop and FUD, Let's Go to Gemini Protocol
Lupa sees self-signed capsules at 92.4%
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Friday, June 20, 2025
IRC logs for Friday, June 20, 2025
Links 21/06/2025: Phone Bans for Concerts, Tensions in Taiwan Strait
Links for the day
Gemini Links 21/06/2025: Spoilers, Public Yggdrasil Node, Changes to AuraGem Search
Links for the day
"Six years of Gemini!"
From gemini://geminiprotocol.net
Gemini Links 20/06/2025: Summer Updates and Hardware Failures
Links for the day
Links 20/06/2025: Google Shareholder Sues Google and Google Sued for Defamatory Slop ('Hey Hi') Word Salads ('Summaries')
Links for the day
Linux Journal Might Have Become the Latest Slopfarm Targeting "Linux", the Trends Are Concerning for Dying News Sites
They tarnish the Web with junk and then die
On "Learning to Code"
quality may suffer, plus things get bloated
Quick Points Regarding This Week's Court Hearing
it paves the way for us to squash all the SLAPPs from Microsofters
Common Mistake: Believing Social Control Media Will Document Your Writings/Thoughts and Search Engines Like Google Will Help You Find These
Many news sites wrongly assumed that posting directly to Twitter would be acceptable
The Manchester Bees and This Hot Summer
We have had a fantastic week so far this week
Gemini Protocol Enters Its Seventh Year, Growth Has Accelerated!
Maybe in June 20 2026 there will be over 3,500 active capsules?
Mastodon and the Fediverse Have an Issue: Liability for Content (Even in Other Instances) and Costs
self-hosting is the only logical path forward
Why Microsoft and Its 'Hey Hi' (Slop) Frenzy Fail While Sinking in Deep, Growing Debt
Right now, like Twitter around the time it was sold to MElon, "open" "hey hi" is a big pile of debt with a lot to pay for that debt (interest payments)
Europe is Leaving Microsoft, the Press Coverage Isn't Sufficiently Helpful
The news is generally positive, but the press coverage leaves so much to be desired
Slopwatch: Linuxsecurity, BetaNews, and Linux Journal
slippery slope
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, June 19, 2025
IRC logs for Thursday, June 19, 2025
Gemini Links 20/06/2025: Gemini Protocol Turns 6!
Links for the day