10.15.11
The Fall of Quanta and Microsoft Florian (Two-Faced Lobbyist)
Summary: How Microsoft managed to corner another company which distributes Linux and how it became known that Microsoft is funding lobbyists to attack Android, Linux, and all those things that are free/libre
THE PEOPLE of the United States (99%) are strongly against software patents, but Microsoft is strongly in favour and so are patent parasites who think that patents should be treated like products. Microsoft uses these to drive up the price of products, especially those where price points are crucial.
What products are most heavily affected?
“Florian is an imposter and just like Microsoft’s front group Association for Competitive Technology he pretends to be the opposite of what he is.”Not Microsoft’s. Microsoft found another victim for easy extortion of Linux and this was covered rather poorly in the corporate press. It neglects to remark on the fact that what Microsoft does is racketeering. This angle got suppressed over time. The Microsoft boosters ‘normalised it through repetition plus headline-jacking and Microsoft-funded lobbyists do the unthinkable by trying to make Google look like the villain and not quite commenting on Microsoft patent trolls attacking Android (instead, the Microsoft-funded lobbyists pretend that Google funds those trolls). The other day we wrote about the Intellectual Ventures antitrust-related letter of complaint. There is great anger over this lawsuit from Intellectual Ventures (IV) suing not only small companies but also extorting large companies. Don’t expect Microsoft lobbyists to comment on this.
The Microsoft-funded lobbyist Florian Müller. (who spams journalists to tweak the news) carries on with his usual disgusting behaviour of blaming Google for merely being a victim of litigation from Microsoft and its ilk. Microsoft uses excuses to pass him some bribes and it has become rather clear now that his Quanta deal raves are just “part of the package” (I lost another post that I wrote about it, but the anti-Linux rhetoric continues). Any journalist who still quotes this man in articles that involve Microsoft or Android should be told off for not stating that there is a conflict of interest and that Florian is really just a lobbyist pretending to be an “analyst” (among other masks). Florian is an imposter and just like Microsoft’s front group Association for Competitive Technology he pretends to be the opposite of what he is.
But getting back to the main point, Microsoft’s extortion continues, but there is just a PR/lobbying angle to it which we must be aware of. This short story is, our list of vendors to avoid will now include Quanta. We need to reward vendors who do not pay Microsoft. It’s the most effective action. █
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Michael said,
October 15, 2011 at 3:15 pm
You say “THE PEOPLE of the United States (99%) are strongly against software patents” but then link to a page which does not support that claim.
You then claim the only ones who support such patents are Microsoft and “patent parasites”.
You then continue whining and offer *no* solution at all to the problem. For example, if you want to end patents, what should be used to protect companies and individuals from having others “slavishly copy” their ideas?
Or do you think that is fine – given how often the open source community does so (without permission)?
And if you think going against the IP owners wishes are fine, then why should anyone, including Microsoft, have to abide by the GPL on any code? Why not just ignore the GPL and use the code as they wish? If they follow your logic they should be able to.
quickuser Reply:
October 16th, 2011 at 2:22 pm
patents and licenses are two different things. Educate yourself, please.
Michael Reply:
October 16th, 2011 at 2:31 pm
I think people should respect the wishes of the holder of IP – it does not matter what category it is plopped into.
Of course, there are limits to that – and asking people to not be inspired by your work is simply not reasonable. And I think Apple sometimes crosses this like – yes, they take existing tech, add some to it, and make products that are unique and show they have a better understanding of people’s needs than most people.
But no matter how much Apple might want to keep this to their own products, others will learn from Apple (as Apple has learned from others). And they push things like saying the term “App Store” is there own. So in these ways I agree with Roy when he talks about Apple taking things too far… but I also see the need for Apple to protects its largest asset – seeing the world in a way no other company does… having insight that others do not.
There is not a good, solid line to draw.
walterbyrd Reply:
October 17th, 2011 at 8:08 am
Excuse me for saying so, but you seem to be, almost suspiciously, straining on gnats, and swallowing camels. Techrights has uncovered another vicious anti-completive scam from a convicted monopolist, and all you can do is get anal about the 99% figure. Comparing the GPL to Microsoft’s patent trolling scam is beyond silly. Microsoft is not “protecting it’s IP.” Microsoft is abusing the US patent system, and legal system, to unfairly compete. Microsoft is indeed racketeering, and MS only gets away with because the US system has become so thoroughly corrupt.
Michael Reply:
October 17th, 2011 at 10:47 am
Without circular evidence (pointing back to his own site), what has Roy really pointed out? I am not going to say it is not *anything*, but it is not much. He makes lots and lots of accusations but rarely actually supports anything, and what he does support gets lost in his BS paranoid rants about Apple and Microsoft begin some massive “duopoly”, his bizarre insistence that anyone who has ever had anything to do with MS is one of their drones and must be heavily biased for them, his absurd claims that anyone who defends their IP *must* be wrong (unless it is the GPL they are using to defend their IP), etc.
I sincerely look forward to your response: point to what Techrights has “uncovered” and done so in a reasonable way.
Good luck hunting!
walterbyrd said,
October 17, 2011 at 3:32 pm
Roy doesn’t support anything? Excuse me, but I see links all over the place. And no, those links do not all point to this site. The truth is: Florian is just another proven Microsoft scam – one of many *many* proven Microsoft scams. Why does it so anger you when Microsoft is exposed for what they really are? And why do you work so hard to digress from the real issue?
Michael Reply:
October 17th, 2011 at 3:40 pm
By all means, quote several things you think Roy has supported well.
Please note: I am not denying he has – but my point is as you look for these things you will find that he largely points back to his own site, he makes tons of accusations which are pretty silly, he posts paranoid rants about how people are agents for Microsoft, he calls MS and Apple a “duopoly”, he insists that people who protect their own IP are “aggressors” unless it is the GPL they are are protecting, etc.
walterbyrd said,
October 17, 2011 at 4:03 pm
Paranoid rants? I’m sorry but the Florian scam proves Microsoft does employ “secret agents.” Enderle also admits working for Microsoft – on his blog, not in his articles.
Please specify what Roy claims that consider so silly? How about Microsoft caught red-handed lying to the US DoJ? How about Microsoft caught red-handing bribing officials in the OOXML scam? How about Microsoft creating letters from dead people in one of Microsoft’s astroturfing scams? How about Microsoft secretly supporting the scox-scam? Yes, Virginia, Microsoft really does that kind of stuff.
Do you really think that most of the public would support Microsoft’s shameful abuse of the US patent system, and legal system? Do you think the public would see the Florian scam as anything other than shamefully dishonest?
I would say that Roy’s main points tend to be dead on accurate.
Michael Reply:
October 17th, 2011 at 4:14 pm
> Paranoid rants? I’m sorry but the Florian scam proves
> Microsoft does employ “secret agents.” Enderle also
> admits working for Microsoft – on his blog, not in
> his articles.
Are you denying Roy spews the paranoid rants I mentioned?
* about how people are agents of Microsoft
* where he calls MS and Apple a duopoly
* where he insists that people who protect their own IP are “aggressors” unless it is the GPL they are are protecting
If you are, I can find examples for you.
> Please specify what Roy claims that consider so
> silly? How about Microsoft caught red-handed lying to
> the US DoJ? How about Microsoft caught red-handing
> bribing officials in the OOXML scam? How about
> Microsoft creating letters from dead people in one of
> Microsoft’s astroturfing scams? How about Microsoft
> secretly supporting the scox-scam? Yes, Virginia,
> Microsoft really does that kind of stuff.
Roy sees conspiracies everywhere, as noted above. This is no a defense of Microsoft or a claim they do no wrong.
> Do you really think that most of the public would
> support Microsoft’s shameful abuse of the US patent
> system, and legal system? Do you think the public
> would see the Florian scam as anything other than
> shamefully dishonest?
I think the whole IP system is miserably broken.
> I would say that Roy’s main points tend to be dead on
> accurate
Sure, but I prefer to look at evidence. To each their own – I support choice.