Three Scenarios For How Microsoft's Open Source Threat Could End

[NewsBot]

*Source: InformationWeek (http://informationweek.com/news/show...ID=199602086)*
______________
Microsoft executives are escalating their open source rhetoric, asserting that 235 company patents are being infringed by the Linux operating system, OpenOffice desktop applications, and other open source code.

This time, Microsoft's remarks go well beyond an off-the-cuff comment from CEO Steve Ballmer. General counsel Brad Smith and his deputy for intellectual property and licensing, Horacio Gutierrez, made the assertions in an interview with Fortune magazine, then Microsoft followed up with press releases to underscore its point.

In November, Microsoft struck a two-way deal with Novell that protects Novell's customers from any potential patent claims by Microsoft while giving Microsoft customers patent protection from Novell. Microsoft has made clear since then that other Linux users, especially those of Red Hat, lack protection from any patent claims it might eventually make. Red Hat last week assured customers they could "deploy Red Hat with confidence."

More...