Mandriva CEO Says No Go To Microsoft Patent FUD

Fri Jun 22 21:17:58 -0700 2007
manage

François Bancilhon, Mandriva's CEO, makes clear the position of the company on any Microsoft patent deals in his blog (and in English, too).

Quotes from the juiciest part: "As far as IP is concerned, we are, to say the least, not great fans of software patents and of the current patent system, which we consider as counter productive for the industry as a whole.  We also believe what we see, and up to now, there has been absolutely no hard evidence from any of the FUD propagators that Linux and open source applications are in breach of any patents. ....So we don’t believe it is necessary for us to get protection from Microsoft to do our job or to pay protection money to anyone."

Mandriva CEO Says No Go To Microsoft Patent FUD
Fri Jun 22 22:01:11 -0700 2007
manage
Good for them! We need more name brand distros and open source projects and leaders to give a hearty up yours to MS. So far, they haven't seemed to sue anyone over these alleged patents.

Now we need entire nations to tell them to go away. Maybe the EU will force them to either put up or shutup over these claims. To me, it seems a lot like market manipulation, ie, I can't believe it is legal what they are doing. A threat is a threat. When you have a huge public figure like balmer, representing arguably the largest software company in the world, making threats, there needs to be some details put forth in what is behind these threats and claims, IMO. At their level, it influences markets. I am not knowledgeable enough to know if the SEC should be involved, but they should be at a minimum, if not the DOJ and what they are supposed to be doing as pertaining to their market dominance. They sell operating systems, threatening one of the other well established but smaller players in that market is clearly designed to be intimidation and certainly seems like it is in violation of their settlement terms, as I loosely understand them anyway.

Mandriva CEO Says No Go To Microsoft Patent FUD
Sun Jun 24 12:23:02 -0700 2007
manage
Yeah to Mandriva.  We need more OS makers, open source, to stand up to the "monopoly".  
    Last year, I think it was, (don't have the article right here), Microsoft almost got into trouble for using monopolistic practices, otherwise known as bullying and bluffing  (in the US).  But, Microsoft, as usual, paid the legislators off, and the legislation to make Microsoft stop using monopolistic practices "disappeared". So, yup, it's illegal, but Congress was bought again by the corporations they represent under disguise of representing "the People"  (Sheeple)  of the US.