This page permanently redirects to gemini://gemini.techrights.org/2008/08/11/richard-stallman-on-dmca-and-pats/.

● 08.11.08

●● Richard Stallman Saw Microsoft’s Plans Against GNU/Linux Back in 2004

Posted in Free/Libre Software, GNU/Linux, Interview, Videos at 10:26 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

The following interview from Digital Tipping Point is a quite fascinating. Towards its end and a couple of minutes after the beginning, Stallman mentions that the Linux kernel, which makes up about 0.25% of the GNU/Linux system according to him, was found to have been covered by 286 different US patents. It is not necessarily news that there was such a study, but watch this video.

=> ↺ Digital Tipping Point

=> ↺

Non-Ogg versions are here.

=> ↺ here

According to Richard Stallman (back in 2004), Microsoft wanted to be using software patents and it was filing for (or granted) several patents per week with the aim of destroying competition like GNU/Linux. As he points out, documents showed that they intend to use software patents against GNU/Linux. That was in 2004.

Not too shabby for a company that violates not only patents but copyrights too.

=> violates not only patents | ↺ copyrights too

Microsoft Austria has collected the top prize in the Community category of the Austrian Big Brother Awards. The prize, a tacky looking robot thing which can be viewed here, was given for the company’s activities in spamming Austrian Linux users with questionnaires. Microsoft Austria recruited G3 GMBH to handle the mailing. This outfit seems to have helped itself to the email addresses of Austrian users registered with the Linux Counter and then sent them the questionnaire, which asked about their views on the software industry, about Linux, and about their employment. This was in breach of the Linux Counter’s copyright and terms of use, which specifically bar use of the data for mass mailings.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Microsoft is filing for software patents more than ever before. That may be the plan. █

=> software patents more than ever before | may be the plan

Share in other sites/networks: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

Permalink  Send this to a friend

=> Permalink | ↺ Send this to a friend

=> Techrights

➮ Sharing is caring. Content is available under CC-BY-SA.