I don't like software patents or the Microsoft Novell deal.  Others have done 
a better job at pointing out the problems than I can:

https://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/2007-03-28-gplv3-grandfather
http://gplv3.fsf.org/gpl3-dd3-rationale.pdf
http://boycottnovell.com/
http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20061102175508403
http://www.groklaw.net/articlebasic.php?story=20061121141625210
http://linux.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/06/19/1720201
http://linux.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/05/04/2147259
http://linux.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/11/09/149259
http://linux.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/07/24/1234207

So, what I see is that most people view the deal as a threat to software 
freedom and some have seen it as harmful to Novell's business.  

For all of that, Novell has not gained much.  They got an exclusive deal on 
Mono, according to M$, which will always be intentionally crippled.  No one 
has been able to use OOXML but M$ and I doubt that will ever change.  If 
that's a pat on the back, it's more of an expression of dominance than 
affection or trust.


On Friday 08 August 2008, Dustin Puryear wrote:
>  Is your issue with
> the evil nature of patents in general (which would include IBM and
> others) or *just* the Microsoft/Novell patent deal?



_______________________________________________
General mailing list
[email protected]
http://mail.brlug.net/mailman/listinfo/general_brlug.net

Reply via email to