Don't Sue As We Don't Sue You

Don't Sue As We Don't Sue You

Introduction

This paper focuses on the Microsoft case that was held in 2006, when Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) along with Linux kernel, samba and other violated the patents.

Discussion

According to Microsoft, Free and Open Source Software (Foss) violated against 235 Microsoft patents. Distributors and users were also interrogated for these alleged copyright infringements to the checkout.

In an interview with the American business magazine "Fortune", it is been expressed that Microsoft's general counsel Brad Smith and licensing manager were responsible. According to news sources, this is not accidental or unconscious infringement; this is a matter of huge number of patents that were infringed. According to Smith, only the Linux kernel violates 42 Microsoft patents. Another 65 were violations of the user interface. The office suite Open Office violates 45 patents and several open-source e-mail applications to other 15th other open-source applications touched 68 Microsoft patents.

Microsoft had laid the groundwork for lawsuits against the open source community at the end of last year. At that time, the company signed an agreement with Linux distributor Novell, which has the interoperability of open source and Microsoft products to the target. Part of this agreement was that Novell and its customers in case of patent claims outside should be left out. In the community, these words had caused great excitement, Novell had their hands full, smooth the waves again.

The advocates of the free software idea to see Microsoft's expected attacks with equanimity. Patents could be granted quickly in courtrooms and canceled again. Only a very deep qualitative analysis of each individual situation could bring valid evidence whether an invention is worth protecting.

In addition, the Foss-bearing variety of reputable companies does on his side. So had the year 2005, six of them (IBM, ...