Microsoft won't sue over LINUX...for now

[Paddy]

http://www.macworld.com/news/2007/05/17/hilf/index.php

[kimmer]

For some reason I feel a tad sick to my stomach.

[gunug]

I also heard Steve Ballmer was going to move the company to Santa Cruz!    This will be a longer commute for many but they'll have "like-minded" neighbors there!

Seriously; there is a patent reform bill in the wind in the U.S. Congress:

QUOTE

Several subcommittee members questioned a provision that would allow a nearly unlimited window for patents to be challenged after being granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Several also raised objections to a provision that would limit the damages a patent holder can collect when an infringing technology is part of a larger product. This apportionment provision would limit damages based on the number of patents within a product, instead of the current practice of considering the total value of the infringing product.

http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/05/17/...-forward_1.html

Microsoft is apparently in the "for" category so it probably won't help matters much!

[cdub1988]

Heh.

That's RICH.

I find that way too amusing.

Company sees an unmistakeable (sp?) threat of the plethora of holes in their own product and instead of fixing it, they point fingers at legitimate software available at no cost. Oh, and patents suddenly fly out of the cracker box.

Heh.

Think they call that a redirection in the lawyering profession, but I could be wrong........"But Bob, if we get the focus off of you on her flaws, then it puts the focus of guilt on her and away from you......"

Later, all.

Thanks for the link, Paddy.

Chris