This agreement is strange and has a lot of business implications. (http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2167966/novell-microsoft-partnership ) "Under the business collaboration agreement, the companies will pursue a variety of joint marketing activities to promote the adoption of the technologies they are collaborating on. In addition, Microsoft will purchase a quantity of coupons from Novell that entitle the recipient to a one-year subscription for maintenance and updates to SUSE Linux Enterprise Server. Microsoft will annually make available approximately 70,000 of these coupons to customers, with a mix of priority and standard support services. By providing its customers with these coupons, Microsoft is enabling companies to benefit from the use of the new software solutions developed through the collaborative research effort, as well as a version of Linux that is covered with respect to Microsofts intellectual property rights."
It appears that MS is trying extend & embrace the Linux community. So perhaps MS is trying to get users the patent protected version of Linux. Microsoft could then raise the licensing fees to Novell.. --- Randall Shimizu <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Now that Microsoft's Baystar investment with the SCO > vs IBM lawsuit has essentially fizzled out it's time > for plan B. Steve Ballmer stated that Microsoft > would > eventually enforce it's patents awhile back. So I > wonder if Microsoft is going to embark on a frontal > assualt on Linux and OSS. > > --- DJA <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > James G. Sack (jim) wrote: > > > Press Release: > > > Microsoft and Novell Announce Broad > > Collaboration on Windows and Linux > > > Interoperability and Support > > > > > > Regards, > > > ..jim > > > > Here are some choice quotes (from Eweek): > > > > > http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,2050848,00.asp?kc=EWRSS03129TX1K0000616 > > > > > > "If a customer says, 'Look, do we have liability > for > > the use of your > > patented work?' Essentially, If you're using > > non-SUSE Linux, then I'd > > say the answer is yes," Ballmer said. > > > > "I suspect that [customers] will take that issue > up > > with their > > distributor," Ballmer said. Or if customers are > > considering doing a > > direct download of a non-SUSE Linux version, > > "they'll think twice about > > that," he said. > > > > > > "[They all] will have to face the issues and help > > their customers" in > > the same way that Novell is, Ballmer said." > > > > > > -- > > Best Regards, > > ~DJA. > > > > > > -- > > [email protected] > > > http://www.kernel-panic.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/kplug-list > > > > > -- > [email protected] > http://www.kernel-panic.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/kplug-list > -- [email protected] http://www.kernel-panic.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/kplug-list
