OT: Interesting news - what does this mean for RH?

[Marc Schwartz]

John Wendel wrote:
> Phil Meyer wrote:
>> Steffen Kluge wrote:
>>> http://www.novell.com/news/press/item.jsp?id=1196
>>> http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/default.mspx
>>>
>>> Cheers
>>> Steffen.
>>>
>> Several things here:
>>
>> Remember the 'cross licensing' deal with SUN that ended the Java 
>> litigation and enabled .Net?
>>
>> This is similar, with a clear win for Microsoft.
>>
>> 1. The litigation Novell vs. Microsoft anti competitive WordPerfect is 
>> over.
>> 2. The Mono developers and users feel better.
>> 3. Novell gets some much needed short term cash.
>>
>> What does Microsoft get?
>>
>> This 'deal' INFERS that Novell agrees with Microsoft that Linux 
>> infringes Microsoft patents.
>>
>> This will make it much easier for Microsoft to attack or strongarm 
>> other Linux distributors.
>>
>> What do we get?
>>
>> An 800 pound gorilla with a history a corporate violence with 
>> Novell/SUSE in its pocket.  Not a good thing at all.
>>
>> Personally, I hope Novell likes its windfall of short term cash as 
>> much as SUN did, and I hope it allows them to survive the 6 year 
>> duration of the agreement.
>>
>> As for me, my interest in SUSE has vanished, even faster than my 
>> interest in Solaris did.  I had previous to the SUN agreement 
>> installed Solaris personally on over 1500 systems of all sizes.  I 
>> have not since.
>>
>> See the more detailed analysis at http://groklaw.net
>>
> 
> 
> If I were running RH, I'd be looking to move my corporation to another 
> country, preferably one that ignored US patent law. I suspect we'll all 
> be paying Microsoft soon (or trying to get our updates from a Chinese 
> web site).
> 
> I hate being controlled by a criminal monopoly.

If I were running RH, I would be inclined to be talking closely to my 
own 800 pound gorilla, namely IBM.

I'd also be pulling out my dusty copy of Andy Grove's book "Only the 
Paranoid Survive", sitting in a comfy chair, sipping some nice Port and 
re-reading it, cover to cover.

:-)

Marc Schwartz