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● 08.21.08

●● SCO and Microsoft/Novell: A Deja Vu

Posted in Dell, GNU/Linux, HP, Microsoft, Novell, Patents, SCO at 10:09 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

What might Hewlett-Packard and Dell have in common? We can’t tell for sure, but have a look at the following.

2002: HP memo forecasts MS patent attacks on free software

=> ↺ HP memo forecasts MS patent attacks on free software

The memo — its full text is provided later in the story, along with HP’s response — briefly explains a patent cross-licensing deal between HP and Microsoft. By itself, that’s not a big deal, especially since it was sent two years ago. But the memo asserts that “Microsoft will soon be launching a patent-based legal offensive against Linux and other free software projects.” Leaders in the open source community have been warning of such attacks for some time. The memo reveals there may be very good reason for the worry.

Then came SCO, suing the entire world.

2007: Dell joins Microsoft Linux ‘protection’ deal:

=> ↺ Dell joins Microsoft Linux ‘protection’ deal

Dell has become the first systems maker to join last year’s Linux pact between Microsoft and Novell covering interoperability, technical support and intellectual property rights.
[...]
In mid-November, shortly after the pact was announced, Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer said companies that sell or run Linux, but aren’t covered under the Novell deal, are illegally using Microsoft’s IP. “We believe every Linux customer basically has an undisclosed balance-sheet liability,” he said.
He said in a later meeting: “I do think it [Novell deal] clearly establishes that open source is not free.”

Less than a week after Dell had joined this very obscure “‘protection’ deal”, Microsoft launched a massive attack on GNU/Linux, demanding payments.

=> very obscure | massive attack on GNU/Linux, demanding payments

Yesterday we brought up old evidence that could suggest SCO had hooked up with Microsoft, or vice versa. █

=> old evidence

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