Microsoft's whole game is to create enough FUD to scare companies into only buying OSS/Linux products that license their patents. Like a MS executive said they "prefer to license than litigate". IBM has enough resources and patents to snarl up MS for years.
----- Original Message ---- From: DJA <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Main Discussion List for KPLUG <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2007 8:00:41 PM Subject: Re: Three Scenarios For How Microsoft's Open Source Threat Could End -- Microsoft Takes On Open Source Stewart Stremler wrote: > begin quoting Tracy R Reed as of Sat, May 19, 2007 at 05:44:00PM -0700: >> Stewart Stremler wrote: >>> That's what worries me. SCO tested the water... and made it quite far >>> without a case. >> Quite far? They haven't even made it to trial yet! What they have done >> is drug out the formalities of getting ready for a trial and that's all. > > It's been over a year of FUD, yes? > > M$ runs on FUD, yes? > > With no case and some money, SCO has generated a lot of FUD. > > M$ has money. These kinds of lawsuits take a special breed of lawyers to even get as far as TSCOG has thus far (four years just of discovery!). And that takes money, lots of it - so far it has cost TSCOG close to a hundred million dollars. Not even IBM has that kind of legal skill on staff - and TSCOG couldn't afford the legal team IBM has hired. It's not going to cost Microsoft any less and probably a *lot* more if they go up against the likes of IBM, especially if they hire the quality of legal team IBM has now. So far M$'s track record in the courts has not been impressive. And they haven't shown much more competence in the courtroom than TSCOG in terms of legal skills (whether in-house or hired gun). Remember, IBM basically wore out the government in their anti-trust troubles: it was at worst (for IBM) a decades-long draw. The best Microsoft managed in the same arena was a conviction. So, I don't think M$ /really/ wants a fight with anyone. That's not how they've made money. They've maintained their dominance mostly by smart acquisitions and bullying tactics. I don't see them changing their spots anytime soon. -- 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
