06.25.07
Posted in FSF, GNU/Linux, GPL, Microsoft, Novell, Patent Covenant, Patents at 11:43 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
About a month ago, Alan Cox said that “Novell are [were] going to get stung by the GPLv3, and rightfully so”. Around this time it also became evident that Novell would get away. Some say that Novell’s image will continue to suffer, so there is punishment to accept. Others perceive this as a good thing because a few positive things can get extracted from the deal. Consider two of the FSF’s latest statements on this issue:
The final draft of GPLv3 says GPL distributors “who make discriminatory patent deals after March 28 may not convey software under GPLv3,” according to a Free Software Foundation statement. The foundation also said that “Novell is not prohibited from distributing this software because the patent protection can be turned against Microsoft to the community’s benefit.”
There is also this one:
“The main reason for this is tactical,” the foundation explained in releasing the final draft. “We believe we can do more to protect the community by allowing Novell to use software under GPL Version 3 than by forbidding it to do so.” However, the new version “will block Microsoft and other patent aggressors from further such attempts to subvert parts of our community.”
It goes without saying that Microsoft is very angry about this.
Permalink
Send this to a friend
Posted in Deception, FUD, GNU/Linux, Microsoft at 8:18 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Surprise, surprise. One familiar face, same old agenda. A couple of recent jabs lead us to this rant.
Miss DiDio, who has earned her reputation as a a shill whose income comes from Microsoft, strikes again. This represents just one poisonous statement among many others which you might find in the news. These usually come from so-called ‘analysts’ that are close to Microsoft. In case you wonder about the latest FUD, have a quick look:
“It can impact enterprise users if somebody decides to sue for patent infringement … and they don’t have any protection in place,” DiDio said. “That is always a danger.”
There has been a lot more coming from the mouth recently. Pamela Jones highlighted one such incident and observation last week:
Obviously, the journalist doesn’t realize that Shuttleworth was talking about free as in speech, not free as in beer. In fact, he used the word freedom, not free. But it whizzed right over her head. That is so basic, I will opine, with my feet up on the desk, that she hasn’t a clue what FOSS is about and did not a minute’s research on what freedom means in this quotation.
There are several others therein. For example:
Here’s what DiDio said:
“If you look at the success of Linux you have to ask how it got so good so fast,” Didio said. “Well there’s a reason. A lot of people will maintain that Linux is ripped-off Unix code — and certainly there is a lot of Unix in Linux.”
It doesn’t take long to do a background check and realise there is dangerous bias therein.
Laura Didio
[...]
An example of her opinion on how Open Source Software is handled shows in this remark (quoted from a phone interview from her home in Massachusetts): “The thing about Linux is, you can talk about a free, open operating system all you want, but you can’t take that idea of free and open and put it into a capitalist system and maintain it as though it is some kind of hippie commune or ashram, because if you can do it like that, at that point I’m like, ‘Pass the hookah please!’” [1]
Even recently, after admitting that a SCO victory in their case against IBM seemed like an extreme longshot, Didio said, “There is a larger issue, though: Even if the SCO case gets dismissed entirely, it does not remove the copyright cloud hanging over Linux and open source.” [2]
[...]
Unsurprisingly, Linux advocates have in response heavily criticised DiDio. Typical criticisms are a lack of formal Computer Science qualifications and promoting studies funded by Microsoft; frequently this has resulted in questioning of her integrity and her being characterised as “a Microsoft shill”.
Why do serious publications keep polluting the news with disinformation? Not so long ago, the founder of the Yankee Group attacked Linux as well, calling the ‘movement’ an actual “religion”. Bear in mind that the Yankee Group has done studies for Microsoft, notably ones that claim high Linux TCO. As long as the news deceives, we should continue to rebut.
Permalink
Send this to a friend
Content is available under CC-BY-SA