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Gates: Microsoft IP Finds Its Way Into Free Software

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the bsd-network-stack dept.

Andy Tai writes "While speaking to financial analysts and commenting on the SCO lawsuit, Bill Gates made the claim that Microsoft's IP is also included in Free/Open source software. Without being specific, he said "There's no question that in cloning activities, IP from many, many companies, including Microsoft, is being used in open-source software. When people clone things, that often becomes unavoidable." Considering Microsoft's claims of ownership over technologies like CIFS, does this mean Microsoft may also launch SCO-style attacks against Free Software/Open Source?"

18 of 848 comments (clear)

  1. Of course it does by sholden · · Score: 5, Funny

    With the garbage that gets a software patent there is certainly IP from microsoft in Linux.

    Then again, there's cetainly IP from microsoft in first year programming assignments, "Hello world" probably violates microsoft's IP by now.

    1. Re:Of course it does by Alsee · · Score: 5, Funny

      "Hello world" probably violates microsoft's IP by now.

      Only if it crashes.

      -

      --
      - - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
  2. Re:No surprise by RPI+Geek · · Score: 2, Funny

    I've never heard that expression before, did you make it up yourself? :)

    --

    - "Nobody came out that night, not one was ever seen. But Old Man Stauf is waiting there, crazy sick and mean!"
  3. My first thought... by SharpFang · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...when I saw XP first, was "Finally one of the guys at M$ saw Gnome and understood Windows UI was years behind current standards".

    --
    45 5F E1 04 22 CA 29 C4 93 3F 95 05 2B 79 2A B2
  4. You guys are taking this too seriously... by sharph · · Score: 2, Funny

    Microsoft isn't going to sue Linux any time soon, that would look bad. Thats why they had SCO do it.

    Bill is just spreading FUD about OSS, thats all.

  5. Forget Linus by naejulak · · Score: 2, Funny

    1. SCO is going after Linus, really.
    2. Linus's kernel code constitutes and extremely small portion of a GNU/Linux operating system.
    3. For free software / open source to be seriously derailed (for more than a year or two) they would have to go after Stallman.
    4. Stallman will eat them alive.

  6. Which kind of makes it important... by leonbrooks · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...that when IBM sees to The SCO Group's encraterment, they do a really, really thorough job. Big flash, widespread aftershocks, debris found over a very wide area. Small sign on tourist lookout saying "Go ahead, Bill, make our day". (-:

    --
    Got time? Spend some of it coding or testing
  7. Re:The next great FUD campaign by _KiTA_ · · Score: 1, Funny

    Eat shit and die, "pro-cussword" fucktard. ;)

    Me, I'm down with fudging my fucks, and darning my damns. Keeps the karma high, and the comments child-friendly. :)

  8. More good news... by ffatTony · · Score: 5, Funny

    I realize everyone thinks SCO's actions are sleezy and MS is being oportunistic, but I really think this lawsuit is good for linux as a whole and me in particular. Why? The chicks. The current scenario is:

    random girl: can I check my email?
    me: sure...
    girl: your desktop looks weird, I want to go home now. I'm confused...

    but if linux does include stolen code it becomes dangerous:

    different girl: mmmm, is that linux you're using?
    me: why yes... it is (sly smile)
    girl: you're so dangerous, take me now.... on the keyboard...

    One can always dream :)

    (And before you make wild geek accusations, yes I do have a girl friend and this was intended to be funny :)

    1. Re:More good news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
      So that's why your girlfriend's ass said YTREWQ last time :) (kidding!).

      ~~~

  9. Re:One thing I've learned in the "real world" by freeweed · · Score: 2, Funny

    If any manager or businessman begins an assertion with "There's no question", "Clearly", or "It's obvious", that assertion is nothing of the sort.

    Sounds like most of my university math professors...

    --
    Endless arguments over trivial contradictions in books written by ignorant savages to explain thunder in the dark.
  10. Could be BSOD by madpierre · · Score: 2, Funny

    What about the BSOD screensaver for X?
    Perhaps its the MS _ BSOD he's on about ;-)

    --
    siggy played guitar
  11. Not quite. by Groo+Wanderer · · Score: 4, Funny

    You are close. It may be the property of MS, but applying the phrase 'intellectual' to the MS Windows UI stretches credibility to the breaking point. I wonder if there is any case law to challenge them on false use of intellect? Any lawyers out there know?

    -Charlie

    (Yes, for the sarcasm impared, this was meant as humor)

  12. Maybe Bill just doesn't understand the GPL! by alienmole · · Score: 2, Funny
    From the article:

    "One thing about the GPL is that you can't just license IBM Linux, or Red Hat Linux," Gates said. "The way the GPL works, if you license any Linux, you have to license all Linux."

    What a bunch of crap. This is disinformation at its best.

    Don't be so hard on poor Bill. It sounds as though, like most people, he just doesn't quite understand how the GPL works. I'm sure once someone's explained it to him properly, he'll be all for it!
  13. That's impossible! by scaife · · Score: 2, Funny

    There can't possibly be anything Microsoft-based in Linux... it's far too stable.

  14. Here's an example from Perl for windows Source by eyal_bd · · Score: 2, Funny

    /* WIN32.C
    *
    * (c) 1995 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
    * Developed by hip communications inc., http://info.hip.com/info/
    * Portions (c) 1993 Intergraph Corporation. All rights reserved.
    *
    * You may distribute under the terms of either the GNU General Public
    * License or the Artistic License, as specified in the README file.
    */

  15. excellent! by lysium · · Score: 2, Funny

    Your words have probably spurred an entire generation of young geeks to start using Linux....

    --
    Together, we will drive the rats from the tundra.
  16. It is really Italian Restaurant Code by ratfynk · · Score: 2, Funny

    My favorite bits are the concept of toolian or whatever the hell they call that allocation limit work around nowadays ... what a piece of crap, no wonder overflows are so hard to predict and debug in MS code. You can tell MS code a mile off because it smells like an Italian Restaurant. There are alot of meatballs writing it and the spaghetti is hidden in the source.

    --
    OH THE SHAME I fell off the wagon and use sigs again!