Should the FSF come out in support of Microsoft?

[Hugo Roy]

Hi,

in the meantime,
http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/10/microsoft-sues-motorola-over-android/

“Microsoft filed an action today in the International Trade Commission
and in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington
against Motorola, Inc. for infringement of nine Microsoft patents by
Motorola’s Android-based smartphones. The patents at issue relate to a
range of functionality embodied in Motorola’s Android smartphone devices
that are essential to the smartphone user experience, including
synchronizing email, calendars and contacts, scheduling meetings, and
notifying applications of changes in signal strength and battery power.

We have a responsibility to our customers, partners, and shareholders to
safeguard the billions of dollars we invest each year in bringing
innovative software products and services to market. Motorola needs to
stop its infringement of our patented inventions in its Android
smartphones.” 


Microsoft's position seems to be that software should be patentable and
that only the patents of Microsoft are valid, not the one of its
competitors.

I, personally, can't support that and I think the FSF and the FSFE
should not.

Best regards,

-- 
  Hugo Roy                           im: hugo at jabber.fsfe.org 
  French Coordinator            http://www.fsfe.org/about/roy 

The Free Software Foundation Europe works to create general
understanding and support for software freedom in politics, law,
business and society. Become a Fellow http://www.fsfe.org/join