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IBM Subpoenas Several Companies in SCO Case
bl8n8r writes "IBM subpoenas are flying. Morgan Keegan, EV1, Oracle, Royce, CAI, Center7, Novell, Canopy, S2, are all asked to reveal details on all documents concerning any communications with or any meetings involving Microsoft regarding Unix, Linux, SCO and/or Canopy." Groklaw notes that even more subpoenas are likely on the way.
Microsoft's idea of innovation is a talking paper clip. Sheesh. ...says the Linux user running KDE with a taskbar, start menu, integrated file/net browser, the same print dialogs, and more.
And tabbed browsing, popup blocking, bayesian spam filtering, virtual desktops, etc.
Scary future: (TINAT) this is not a troll
Microsoft (ala RIAA/MPAA, they buddies) starts to sue own "customers" who use unlicenced Windows and Ofiice the way MP3 copiers were sued. This in support of their (I presume) soon to fail subscruption policies. Who in their right mind would buy a subscription to an OS? I got a air and car subscription to sell them cheap ($1 a breath for air and $1 a mile for car use)
Why sue? Remember that other than Windows and Office, every other major M$ division (Xbox, MSN, etc.) has historically lost (lots of) money, yet investors keep investing in M$ because it has high ROI even in "slump" times. But OSS/Linux/Openoffice and friends are cutting into their 2 cash cows more each day!
Solution: M$ is pressuring their losing divisions to cut costs, warning the markets to expect lower earnings, etc. But their real solution is (IMO): Use the whole software/hardware DRM (remember they are buddies with Intel and the RIAA/MPAA) to lock in assure that every copy of windows/office phones home to say either "I'm registered" or "sue this guy!" and likewise with media files.
The Mac will be the only platform where the hardware is DRM free and the software is mostly DRM free (yes I know iTunes Music Store is DRM, but a mild and relatively harmless one).
Tie to Linux, because while the software is DRM free, the largest installed base is x86 Linux, which means same hardware DRM as Windows is likely, lest it falls into the less features/incompatible FUD M$ loves to push, along with Linux being branded a "pirate" OS by RIAA/MPAA.
And that is ignoring the worst case scenario, M$ using hardware DRM to lock Linux out of x86! Can't happen? yeah cause the US DOJ has been so vocally suing M$ lately for ever more blatant antitrust violations! The ground is littered with the corpses of companies who said M$ can't do that, we'll sue and either lost in court or won there but were still driven out of business!