Software Patent Violations

i read a post on SlashDot.org that quoted that Microsoft is blaming Linux of infringing it's software patents, 235 of those. and it turned out they are only giving numbers claiming violations, but is not ready to tell exactly what is being violated.

Made me just remember the SCO controversy where SCO was claiming Linux used code from UNIX. Microsoft seems to walking on the same path.

Microsoft has already lost its battle on the Internet front to the giant Google. Google even started an online Office Suite. Although it is very far from MS Office, it is a full fledged Office suite waiting for more features to come in.

On the OS front, Linux was already gaining more and more control on the server segment. And more recently with Ubuntu and Novell SuSE and more notably the XGL interface is making even Microsoft's much talked of OS, Vista look naive. Vista offers just a fraction of the eye candy that XGL can offer. To add to it XGL runs on much lesser configuration than what a Vista demands.

So all Microsoft can do is fight back in retaliation. But it wont describe what Linux is violating, something that we all want to know. something that can allow the Linux developers to change the so called copyright infringement scenario. We can develop workarounds only if you tell where your infringed code lies.

I would believe there is much less chance of Linux violating copyrights than there is of Microsoft violating them. The Linux code is open for all. Anyone can view it, review it, dissect it, analyze it, tear it apart to evey bit and point out for themselves what is being violated. But as for microsoft, the code is closed. You are not allowed to dissect it, no access to source code. End of story.

So there is much higher chance of Microsfot copying a lot of code from the open source community to implement in its own product and still release its own product in closed source, thus violating the GNU GPL.

By all means, Microsoft is just bluffing about it's software patents. After all it has to remind people that they still are in business..