Ubuntu reaches out to embarrassed SuSE devs

[Ian Malone]

Craig White wrote:
> On Sat, 2006-11-25 at 13:53 -0600, Les Mikesell wrote:


> ----
> directly quoted from the article...
> 
> "My reaction is that so far, what he [Ballmer] said is just more FUD
> [fear, uncertainty and doubt]," said Pamela Jones, editor of the
> Groklaw.net blog, which tracks legal issues in the open-source
> community. "Let him sue if he thinks he has a valid claim, and we'll see
> how well his customers like it."
> 
> Officials at Red Hat Inc., the leading Linux distributor, also dismissed
> Ballmer's comments. "We do not believe there is a need for or basis for
> the type of relationship defined in the Microsoft/Novell announcement,"
> said Mark Webbink, deputy general counsel.
> 
> This is simply Microsoft FUD - If you wish to buy into it, that's your
> issue.
> 
> It seems pretty obvious to me that the moment that Microsoft files suit
> against some large corporate user for infringement (they aren't likely
> to sue a Linux distribution), that they will alienate the entire
> corporate world. A bully doesn't beat up on people to project
> strength...a bully merely threatens. Let them threaten all that they
> wish - who's afraid of the big bad wolf?
> 

Honestly, I'm beginning to believe that blatantly submarining like
this should somehow be illegal (as in, invalidate their claim).  If
they have a valid patent claim that they believe Linux violates they
should announce it so people know where they stand, as it affects the
end user as well as the distributor.  Surely the whole point of the
patent system[1] is that people know what the holder has a claim on
and can avoid using it if they don't want to.

Vague threats like this are automatically FUD, if there's really
something there the patent should have been published and they should
be able to point to it.  Unless they go to court they don't have to
tell you /how/ you're violating it, but if they think millions of
people and companies are somehow violating a patent they should have
the grace to say which one so we can make a choice.

[1] In general; the silliness of software patents specifically aside.
-- 
imalone