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Microsoft Claims IP Rights on Portions of OpenGL

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the thanks-sgi dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Minutes of the latest OpenGL ARB meeting reveal that Microsoft is claiming IP over the vertex and fragment extensions, both critical for exposing the capabilities of modern graphics hardware. The minutes also include an update on the progress of OpenGL 2.0." The question is, what does this mean for Linux -- how will Microsoft exercise their "rights"?

3 of 361 comments (clear)

  1. IP they bought from SGI? by green+pizza · · Score: 2, Redundant

    I wonder if this has anything to do with the IP (patents, designs, etc) Microsoft recently bought from Silicon Graphics, Inc (SGI)...

  2. Moderators: Mod Parent Up by guttentag · · Score: 1, Redundant

    He makes the important point that Linux is not the only refuge for OpenGL.

  3. this is an aggresive strategy... by bilbobuggins · · Score: 1, Redundant
    this says to me that MS percieves a threat...

    MS knows that games are a HUGE sales driver for the desktop PC. They wouldn't do this unless they thought non-Windows/DirectX games could be in danger, no matter how small the danger appears now. And I don't mean that there are only MS/DirectX games out there now but rather there is a potential for Directx's growth in market share to be stopped.
    This is an aggressive move by strategists to try to neutralize potential problems 3 years down the line, THAT's when the chokehold will appear.
    Super slimy but completely understandable if not brilliant from a business perspective.