Summary: Microsoft and Co. sponsor another entity which shapes Open Source directions and policy

A reader has just passed us the E-mail above, which he claims to be evidence of Microsoft, Black Duck, and Olliance (now owned by Black Duck to run the Microsoft-sponsored Open Source think tank) sponsoring the "Future of Open Source Forum". Sounds like another case of agenda-setting/pushing while analysts borrow a voice for a buck. Microsoft is still pushing software patents and patent litigation while doing all this PR work to deceive the public^*. Here is Microsoft listed among the "2011 Survey Collaborators".

In light of Microsoft's lawsuits against FOSS, isn't that just grand? Groklaw follows the i4i case closely and provides some links such as [1, 2, 3, 4]. Groklaw quotes this bit too:

"The current 'clear and convincing evidence' standard is actually harmful to innovation," said Hungar, because companies are unable to use technology that has been improperly awarded patents, resulting in laying out licensing fees that should instead be spent on research and development.

Time to reboot the USPTO, right? But Microsoft needs the USPTO in order to extort Linux. ⬆ ___ ^* Speaking of PR exercises, think tanks are a good example of means for generating PR disguised as respected opinions, e.g. Microsoft as the "most ethical" company. The Gates Foundation does a lot of this stuff, paying about a million dollars per day to newspapers and other media to paint a famous felon, Bill Gates, as an ethical hero. It's all PR. Bill and his wife keep praising Coca Cola in public talks (they also invest in this abusive company which murders union organisers) and according to this new report, "Big Soda Uses Philanthropy to Silence Opposition, Neutralize Soda Taxes". Just like the Gates Foundation, which is used to silence opposition to Microsoft and help Gates pay no tax (he gets exempted while taxing everyone else, e.g. PC buyers who are forced to pay for Windows).