On Wed, 2007-10-10 at 12:50 +0200, Carsten Agger wrote:
Do any of you see something new - as in, some action actually threatened, or signs of a "stepping up" - in Steve Ballmer's most recent statements?
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2200717/microsoft-sharpens-aims-patent http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20071008205138925
To me it seems that by pointing a finger directly a Red Hat the effect of scaring business away from FOSS becomes more specific - and, in a way, more pointed that previously. Now it's not so much "there are some patents but we're not telling which" but rather "there are some patents and we're not telling which, but people using those products are going to have to pay up."
But is there any real harm done by it - except for the FUD? Or is the main harm done by such statements perhaps to Microsoft itself?
Given that Red Hat has a real indemnification program (that covers also patent claims) it seem pure FUD to me.
Simo.