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Microsoft, Linux and Patents
AP Lawrence ^ | 04/05/2006 | AP Lawrence?

Posted on 04/05/2006 8:39:22 AM PDT by luthers_inkwell

At http://www.no-lobbyists-as-such.com/florian-mueller-blog/ballmer-linux/ we're reminded that Microsoft wants Linux dead. Ballmer is once again making noise about patents.

Unfortunately, Microsoft likely does have patents it could use against Linux. IBM can probably be replied upon to fight back on the side of Linux with its own patents - supposedly they've called Microsoft patent bluffs in the past just by pointing out that they also have stacks of patents and idle lawyers ready to look for violations by Windows code. However, Microsoft might now be willing to risk the battle.

Microsoft is not in a happy place right now. Vista is delayed, and both Apple and Linux are gnawing at its toes. The increasing interest in virtualization and particularly in package/OS bundling like VMware Player is a bumpy road for Microsoft because of OS licensing. Microsoft doesn't want its OS sales pirated, but it doesn't want to miss out on that market either. Linux apps can be shipped with a free OS; Microsoft apps cannot.

(Excerpt) Read more at aplawrence.com ...


TOPICS: Computers/Internet
KEYWORDS: 01digital; 02deconstructionists; 40yroldvirgin; bestofgoldeneagle; copyleftists; cybercommunists; ethernetegalitarian; linux; microsoft; modemmaoists; modemmarxists; tech; unixutilitarian; vmware; worstofgoldeniggle
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To: antiRepublicrat
Answer the charge of your lie about getting security updates from hacker sites.

What now, you think people should get their security updates from non-provider sites? I simply don't agree, I get my patches and any instructions about how to apply them direct from the vendor, obviously being the closest thing to a completely trustable source. Any other source can be dangerous, and advocating others use them deserves questioning.

481 posted on 04/08/2006 2:32:54 PM PDT by Golden Eagle
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To: Golden Eagle
What now, you think people should get their security updates from non-provider sites?

No, this is about your accusation that someone suggested doing so. He linked you to a flash animation of updates happening to show you how easy it is, and you of course didn't bother to check the link before you accused him of suggesting to go to "hacker sites" for security updates. After that he even reminded you he was only pointing to a flash animation, and that he gets updates from the official site. Then you bring up your stupidity again calling it a lie of another.

I'd also like to see you defend your accusation that the FSF confiscates code from its users (you called saying they don't a lie).

Oh, and remember the uptimes: Microsoft, huge mega corp, major server farm, current uptime 21 days, 4-month average 90 days. Knoppix, non-commercial but popular Linux site, current uptime 368 days, 4-month average 312 days.

482 posted on 04/08/2006 6:53:30 PM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: Golden Eagle; theFIRMbss

Yeah! No software to the Chinese! Patches aren't workarounds! Stallman is a....

er...

I mean, Linux is great!

(Forgot who I was supposed to be there for a minute!).


483 posted on 04/08/2006 7:24:56 PM PDT by FLAMING DEATH
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To: antiRepublicrat

What a joke! "He didn't want you to run the install from the hacker site, he just wanted you to launch some flash files from there." Flash can't have vulnerabilities? On a hacker site?

The FSF has threatened many of their users with lawsuits, forcing them to release their source code, as I'm sure you well know. Now they're getting ready to try to exclude Tivo specifically from using FSF software in Stallman's new GPL license. Why would they do this, unless they were anti-business?

Go ahead, defend hackers and Stallman some more, LOL


484 posted on 04/08/2006 8:18:03 PM PDT by Golden Eagle
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To: Golden Eagle; N3WBI3
Flash can't have vulnerabilities? On a hacker site?

That's not what we're talking about. Read basic English. You claimed that he was supporting downloading security updates from a hacker site. All he did was point to a flash example of how easy it is to update. He told you this. You repeated your claim after being corrected. You lied.

The FSF has threatened many of their users with lawsuits

That's something that copyright holders tend to do when you violate their license. You don't seem to have a problem with Microsoft enforcing its licenses, even when it violates freedom of speech.

forcing them to release their source code

The FSF cannot force anyone to release their source code. A violator has two options for the future of his code: quit distributing it with GPL-licensed software, or make it GPL. Any decisions to release source were made by the authors.

Now they're getting ready to try to exclude Tivo specifically from using FSF software in Stallman's new GPL license.

Duh, that's a reason Torvalds rejects the current GPL3 draft. Oh, I forgot, you said he did a 180 (another of your lies).

Why would they do this, unless they were anti-business?

Stallman is not anti-business on the whole. He's just only for certain models of business (you can read that on his site that you so often quote). He freaked out when TiVO came up with a legitimate business model that he didn't forsee, a model that complied with the GPL but didn't fit his narrow philosophy.

BTW, the "hacker" you were so scared of was the FReeper's own site. Yeah, really dangerous to visit the web site of a conservative highly religious electrical engineer working as a sysadmin. And he's not even a Russian boogeyman, like the author of that network security tool that you haven't heard of, yet a Linux newbie FReeper easily guessed on the first try.

485 posted on 04/08/2006 10:09:06 PM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: antiRepublicrat
eh I don't take it personally he has called me a hacker on several occasions.. Its part of his whole paranoia thing..
486 posted on 04/09/2006 5:31:44 PM PDT by N3WBI3 (If SCO wants to go fishing they should buy a permit and find a lake like the rest of us..)
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To: N3WBI3; Golden Eagle
eh I don't take it personally he has called me a hacker on several occasions.

If it weren't for the fact that he doesn't know what a hacker is, I'd consider that a compliment.

What'll really mess him up is that the "cracker" term he previously used was coined by Stallman to differentiate between people to crack into computers illegally and hackers.

487 posted on 04/09/2006 5:59:42 PM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: Golden Eagle; FLAMING DEATH
The FSF has threatened many of their users with lawsuits

BTW, unlike it is with proprietary software, it is impossible for the FSF to sue a user of GPL software. From the license, "The act of running the Program is not restricted..." It is only those people who do more than use, who copy, redistribute or modify the code, who can be sued for infringing on the author's copyright.

You see, there is a difference between a misstatement and a lie. On this board, all of us make mistakes. There's no problem if you write something that is wrong and get called on it, then admit you're wrong and withdraw/modify (preferably without weasel excuses). The problem comes when you refuse to admit your mistake after being called on it. Then we call it a lie because you are then knowingly pushing falsehoods. This problem is a common one with you. You tried to change the subject after being called on your "hacker sites" lie.

So, you can either withdraw "users," admit your mistake, and make it "redistributors and copiers," and we're cool on this issue, or you can continue your normal policy of denial and avoidance, and have another lie registered in your name.

FD, watch this one. It's another for the lie list if he doesn't retract, because the FSF has NEVER sued a simple user.

488 posted on 04/10/2006 10:24:15 AM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: antiRepublicrat
Of course, here you are, still defending Stallman and his group the FSF. And yes, they have threatened distributors of open source with lawsuits which are of course also users.

The FSF, Linux's Hit Men

489 posted on 04/10/2006 4:25:30 PM PDT by Golden Eagle
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To: Golden Eagle
And yes, they have threatened distributors of open source with lawsuits which are of course also users

Then you should have said distributors, not users. Saying they sue or threaten to sue users is dishonest, because they have never threatened one simple user of GPL software. They're not Microsoft, which has threatened to sue simple users for publishing valid benchmarks of their products.

The FSF, Linux's Hit Men

So you have no problem with me, say, installing Windows Server 2003 on a small server configured for NAT and firewall, and selling the package at retail without getting a license from Microsoft?

490 posted on 04/10/2006 4:57:45 PM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: Don Joe

Yes, we're agreeing vehemently. ;-)


491 posted on 04/10/2006 5:21:02 PM PDT by DemosCrash
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To: antiRepublicrat

Had to move the bar again, didn't he?

Kinda like going from "kernel developers" to "linux developers"...

or from "system" to "desktop system"...


492 posted on 04/10/2006 5:23:36 PM PDT by FLAMING DEATH
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To: Golden Eagle
They're not Microsoft, which has threatened to sue simple users for publishing valid benchmarks of their products.

Before you catch me on a technicality of what I said there, to be precise, Microsoft used the threat of lawsuit to prevent the publication of valid benchmarks of a Microsoft product, SQL Server. You see, the benchmarks didn't come out very good for the SQL Server on Windows 2000, so Microsoft didn't want them published. Luckily for Microsoft, their license contains a clause stating that nobody can publish benchmarks without Microsoft approval.

That's the kind of thing you get with proprietary software, buy it and sign away your constitutional rights. It isn't just Microsoft. Oracle does it too, as does Network Associates.

493 posted on 04/11/2006 7:39:45 AM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: antiRepublicrat
it is impossible for the FSF to sue a user of GPL software...

It's not impossible for the FSF to sue a user. It's simply improbable that the FSF would prevail. Big difference.
494 posted on 04/12/2006 12:09:45 PM PDT by DemosCrash
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To: rzeznikj at stout

R O T F L M A O!!


495 posted on 07/30/2006 6:50:03 PM PDT by stephenjohnbanker (Taglines for sale or rent. Good "one liners", 50 cents.)
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To: stephenjohnbanker; MikefromOhio; zeugma; Irish_Thatcherite

Yep. A real classic...8^)


496 posted on 07/30/2006 6:52:10 PM PDT by rzeznikj at stout (ASCII and ye shall receive... (Computers 3:14))
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To: rzeznikj at stout

A keeper for sure!


497 posted on 07/30/2006 6:53:38 PM PDT by stephenjohnbanker (Taglines for sale or rent. Good "one liners", 50 cents.)
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To: rzeznikj at stout; N3WBI3; MikefromOhio; FLAMING DEATH; Petronski; antiRepublicrat; ...


Thread Jester Ping

This one is a classic thread. Enjoy!! 8^)

A low-volume pinglist dedicated for all the thread jesters out there--you know who you are...8^)

FReepmail rzeznikj at stout or MikefromOhio to be added or struck from the list...

498 posted on 07/30/2006 7:07:11 PM PDT by rzeznikj at stout (ASCII and ye shall receive... (Computers 3:14))
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To: rzeznikj at stout

This thread deserves 500 hits : )


499 posted on 07/30/2006 7:08:31 PM PDT by stephenjohnbanker (Taglines for sale or rent. Good "one liners", 50 cents.)
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To: rzeznikj at stout

This thread deserves 500 hits : )


500 posted on 07/30/2006 7:08:31 PM PDT by stephenjohnbanker (Taglines for sale or rent. Good "one liners", 50 cents.)
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