The OpenOffice.org team takes no time to wait and watch, whether it can afford it or not. It retaliates immediately and calls Microsoft's bluff.

OpenOffice.org today called Microsoft Corp.'s assertion that its open-source application suite violates 45 of its patents "a desperate act."

A couple of days ago we provided further proof that Microsoft's own weaknesses led it these acts, which are a last resort -- however dead-end they may be.

There is also a theory that this is nothing more than a diversionary tactic. It is intended distract attention from many internal problems such as the recent Longhorn (just renamed "Server 2008") 'feature castrataion', which is rather major, not to mention the poor sales of Windows Vista and Office 2007. Citations were all provided in the link above and they very well support this theory. You may also wish to explore this new article from ComputerWorld.

Red Hat is very calm and, as indicated yesterday, its stock is virtually affected by the recent news. Just in case, Red Hat has posted the following Web page.

The reality is that the community development approach of free and open source code represents a healthy development paradigm, which, when viewed from the perspective of pending lawsuits related to intellectual property, is at least as safe as proprietary software. We are also aware of no patent lawsuit against Linux. Ever. Anywhere.

In addition, the Open Invention Network provides a patent safe harbor for the Linux environment. OIN, of which Red Hat was a founding member, also has an independent patent portfolio to help protect and maintain the pro-competitive effect of this open environment.

Red Hat took a similar approach with its "Unfakeable" campaign when Oracle first struck. Many months later, Red Hat is in a healthy state. Need anyone worry? Certainly not, but one should still respond and react by squashing the fear, the uncertainty, and the doubt. Let us help people realise that there is no real threat, just a perceived one.