Bonum Certa Men Certa

How Microsoft's OSS Insiders Can Plant the Seeds of Intellectual Monopolies

'Covert ops' for software patents among so-called 'dissidents'

One of the disappointing things about Microsoft's rocky affairs in Europe is that software patents get pushed onto table using buzzwords like "reasonable" (as in RAND) and "interoperabile" [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11].

As we showed very recently, based on unpublished research and reports from FFII, Microsoft still wants GNU/Linux tax (even in Europe). On the face of it, the US Department on Justice does not stand in the way of this self-serving plot. From last night's news:



Microsoft, DOJ issue status report on interoperability compliance



[...]

Also, 49 companies have licensed patents for the communications protocols since the final judgment, with 36 of the companies signing aboard for a royalty bearing license.

[...]

To date the interoperability labs, which are offered free to MCPP licensees at its Microsoft Engineering Center, Microsoft completed an interoperability lab with one licensee in March and another in May.


Interestingly enough, here comes a timely interview that grills Microsoft on the issues it stubbornly tries to escape.

There has been some concern that GPL implementations of material covered by Microsoft's Open Specification Promise are prohibited. Microsoft could resolve this with a clear statement that GPL implementations are OK. Why hasn't it?

[...]

Microsoft made it clear last year that it wanted to encumber the open source communities with patent royalties. Do you expect that Microsoft sponsored standards will tend to be covered by Microsoft patents? CNN's senior editor said: "If the company gets its way, free software won't be free anymore." is this an accurate claim?


Microsoft does not deliver answers. It just flees the them and hopes for uncertainty to prevail on the face of it. Here is what OSNews had to say about it:

He also gives a painfully polished response to CNN's senior editor's claims that the company is trying to eliminate free software.Typical Microsoft PR response to tough questions, but interesting nonetheless....


It remains true that Microsoft cannot compete with zero-cost or low-cost competition that thrives in massive-scale collaboration. The monopoly relies a great deal on being able to extract money from this competitor, if not just exclude, punish, intimidate and ruin its name. This way, not only can it make money as a licensor, but it also make its competitor's offerings more expensive. It's a win-win and a double-win situation, but how can Microsoft ever persuade Free software developers to comply with draconian laws? Using 'plantations' perhaps, as it is a matter of perception.

“OpenLogic, for example, is a company that is run by a former Microsoft chap.”There is an informational and also a technical aspect at play. On the one hand, Microsoft can try to deliver and perpetuate the belief that software patents are already honoured by Free software developers (and that they loathe GPLv3); on the other hand -- and at the same time in fact -- Microsoft can 'poison' Free software with what's considered more trivially provable as infringing (Hallo, Moto Mono).

Yesterday we shared some commentary, which was backed with news, in order to show that the threat comes from the inside. OpenLogic, for example, is a company that is run by a former Microsoft chap. It claims to have established somewhat of a 'census' that encompasses open source, but it's far from it. It could be used as just a monitoring project -- spyware that's akin to Microsoft Windows which sends Redmond a list of all your installed applications every time Windows Update is invoked (automatically).

At the same time, as just spotted in another site (ComputerWorld UK), Glyn Moody draws his conclusions about GPLv3 based on Microsoft Black Duck (CEO Doug Levin no longer works at Microsoft). Remember ACT?

Microsoft influence is only to be expected where there are inter-personal relationship and past colleagues (de Icaza, for example, has friends at Microsoft). They're everywhere. And Dana Blankenborn has just explained how they buy their way into the 'community'.

Why is it that all these open source news sites, blog sites, and resource sites are still being sponsored by Microsoft?


From an 'us' (Free software) against 'them' (proprietary suppression) situation it becomes a 'them' versus 'them' situation. They try to dominate both sides and control the direction of both -- whether deliberately or not.

One subject that was discussed in the IRC channel a short while ago are ways in which people like Walli (former Microsoft employee with software patent/s) can steer developers away from the GPLv3 by befriending them. He is not alone.

There is a lot of deception already going on. For example, Microsoft is misusing the word "open" (claiming to be a fan of it). Yesterday we wrote about the "only 4" remark, which you can find out some more about if you are curious. It's about OOXML.

The headline in this story tells the reader that Microsoft describes itself as "open and collaborative" despite the fact that it resorted to corruption, vicious attacks against ODF and those who defended ODF and even technical sabotage. Is that "open and collaborative"? No, it's just useless marketing pitch. It's a lie.

"The Norwegian [OOXML] affair was a scandal and we are still pursuing it. We haven’t given up hope of changing the vote back to No, and we hope people who experienced similar travesties in other countries will do the same."

--Steve Pepper



flickr:2401273308

Recent Techrights' Posts

Get Rid of Back Doors, Don't Obsess Over Bounties and Other Corporate PR Stunts (or Needless Reboot Rituals)
Security as a term has mostly lost its meaning due to repeated misuse for many years
Serial Sloppers Are Killing the Web (They Probably Don't Care, Either)
Slop is a disease on the Web
IBM's Debt Ballooned by 8.5 Billion Dollars in Just 3 Months!
Hallmark of a company in a state of disarray, trying to spend its way out of trouble
Big Trouble in GNOME
even GNOME people admit the CoC went wrong
 
The Cost (to Linux) of LLM Slop
Slop 'artists' like Fagioli are far from harmless
Links 25/04/2025: Ubisoft Spyware, Hegseth Fails at Tech on Every Level
Links for the day
Gemini Links 25/04/2025: Food Forest Update and Facebook Destroying the Net
Links for the day
Streaming Apps Are “Investor Fraud” That Kills the Planet
Reprinted with permission from Ryan Farmer
Things Get Increasingly Nasty at Microsoft Ahead of the Fake Results and May's Mass Layoffs Wave
They try to get people to 'resign' so that they won't count as layoffs and the company's 'wellbeing' will seem better
Slopping the Trough: Disney Plus Loses Billions and the Decline of Physical Media in America
Reprinted with permission from Ryan Farmer
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, April 24, 2025
IRC logs for Thursday, April 24, 2025
Links 24/04/2025: GAFAM Problems and No Peace (or Ceasefire) in Sight
Links for the day
Slopfarms on the Web Almost Always Generate Anti-Linux FUD When They Produce "Linux" Output
Welcome to the dying Web
Richard Stallman's Oxford Talk Has Just Ended, Here Are Some Photos
he might hop over to another European country
Gemini Links 24/04/2025: Birthday and Good Work of Academia in Esotericism
Links for the day
Links 24/04/2025: EU fines Apple and Facebook, Another Microsoft GitHub Security Blunder
Links for the day
New Article Explains How the GPL Came About and WordPress Having Copyleft Obligations
Having been involved in the WordPress development community since almost the beginning, I know why it chose the GPL and how it restricts abuse by Automattic
IBM Gained Almost 6 Billion Dollars in "Goodwill" Value in Just 3 Months, According to IBM
Congrats to the management!
In Belarus, Yandex is Now Measured as 50 Times More 'Popular' (by Usage) Than Microsoft
Yandex continues to gain, whereas Bing cannot even register at 1%. Last month it was registered or measured at a measly 0.65%.
IBM Cannot Lie to Shareholders Anymore
"I would not be surprised if we see a layoff every quarter this year."
Dr Richard Stallman (RMS) Gives Talk in Oxford University in 4 Hours
If you live nearby, go there (it's free as in gratis)
Using a Law Firm's Licence to Exercise Politics Through Frivolous SLAPPs and Nastygrams (to Silence People, Remove Pages, Demand Fake or Forced 'Apologies')
Things must be getting really bad when lawyers act for raving antisemites
We're Working to Make Full-Site Search Available
This site has over 1,000 'wiki' pages, many thousands of documents, several thousands of videos, and about 50,000 blog posts or articles. We need to make them easier to find/navigate.
Links 24/04/2025: IBM Loses Many Contracts, Intel to Lay Off Over 20% (Not Counting Those Who Leave 'Voluntarily')
Links for the day
Richard Stallman Can Explain to Oxford Artificial Intelligence Society Why LLM Slop is Not Artificial Intelligence and Why It Hurts Society
another 'crop' of LLM slop that damages GNU/Linux and facts
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, April 23, 2025
IRC logs for Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Open Source Initiative (OSI) Promoting Microsoft and Proprietary Software Using Microsoft Operatives
Because nothing says "Open Source" like GPL violations facilitated by Microsoft
Another Site Bites the Dust: "Open Source For You" Becoming a Slopfarm (LLM Slop)
What a shame. Another dead site.
Links 23/04/2025: Crackdowns on Dissent, Palin Loses Libel Retrial Against New York Times
Links for the day
Links 23/04/2025: Hard Times and Digital Amnesia
Links for the day
The GNU/Linux Site Formerly Known as "linoxide.com" is Back... as an LLM Slopfarm!
Better for linoxide.com to go offline than to do this
Richard Stallman to Speak in Oxford University Exactly a Day From Now
outsourced to GAFAM
Links 23/04/2025: "Hiding Corruption" and "The Cost of Defunding Harvard"
Links for the day
Microsoft 'Studies' Again? Leon Musolff is Writing Papers With Microsoft.
Even if one can see/find a link to "the study" (in the Bezos-controlled publication), most people won't look any further and just take everything at face value.
Towards GNU World Domination
The FSF led by Geoffrey S. Knauth with his friend Richard Stallman in the FSF's Board [...] Let's encourage people to adopt GNU/Linux. There has never been a better time.
statCounter Helps Visualise Just How Deep in Trouble Microsoft is (Especially in Africa)
Microsoft sabotaged efforts to connect Africans and equip them with GNU/Linux laptops
The Register is Using Linux-Hostile Clickbait in Articles of Linux Proponents
Don't be a "whore" to advertisers, team El Reg
Microsoft Windows in Cyprus Lacking a Future
Most people access the Web there from mobile
Matrix Has a Severe Problem With Illegal Images
If Matrix cannot get the CP problem under control, many projects and people will dump Matrix
Never Try to Justify Strangulation of Women (Not in the US and Not in the UK)
Joint post by Mrs. Rianne Schestowitz and Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Links 23/04/2025: Tesla Profits Plunge 71%, Intel Ready to Lay Off 20% of Staff, Microsoft and IBM Layoffs
Links for the day
Microsoft's Most Profound Issue is That People Moved to 'Mobile' and "App Stores" (Microsoft's Presence There is Negligible)
Expect a wild ride for Microsoft this year
Google News is Amplifying FUD and Lies About Linux (and OpenSSH/SSH) by Promoting Slopfarms With Machine-Generated FUD and Slop Images
Google should know better
Gemini Links 23/04/2025: Librarians, Anubis, and Refactoring a Gemini Capsule
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, April 22, 2025
IRC logs for Tuesday, April 22, 2025